


I Need You Now, Babe

by M_W101



Series: The Kana Chronicles [1]
Category: Coronation Street, Kate Connor/rana nazir - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 08:38:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 30,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14540910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_W101/pseuds/M_W101
Summary: The sudden death of her brother leaves Kate in the darkest place she's ever known. So many questions remain unanswered and she simply doesn't know how to process her grief, all she knows is she needs Rana more than ever.





	1. Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> This fic will deal with Kate and Rana, Kate's reaction to Aidan's suicide which airs next week and how it makes them both realize that life is precious. I'll obviously say right now that this fic may be upsetting and/or triggering for which i can only apologize in advance.

_"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself" -_ George Bernard Shaw

 

 

Any other day of the year, a phone call from Kate would bring out Rana's smile from ear to ear. Today it bought sadness, tears and a feeling of despair. Kate's words still had yet to sink in.

_"Aidan's died...they think he took his own life....i..i need you..please"_

Rana had been about to see another patient when the call came through, Kate's blubbering voice was still coming down the line and Rana had already bolted out of her office. She exchanged a brief look with Liz who had nodded at her to go to Kate, tear's streaming from her own eyes. She must have been receiving the same news. 

"I'm coming Kate i promise. I'll be there in a couple of minutes. I love you so much" she said, walking at a pace that ordinarily she'd consider dangerous.

She couldn't understand quite what was happening, Aidan had looked so happy? They were laughing together just the other day?

Finally after what felt like the longest two minutes of her life, she arrived at the flat. Kate was stood outside crying her eyes out. Rana hated seeing Kate upset, it was the worst feeling seeing the woman she loved hurting.

"Come here, I'm so sorry" she sighed as she pulled Kate tightly into a hug. Kate cried onto her shoulder for several minutes whilst Rana held her. Eventually Kate slowly pulled away from the embrace, using her sleeve to wipe her face. 

Kate eventually was calm enough to speak. "I'm sorry for dragging you away from work"

Rana almost wanted to laugh but knew this wasn't the time. Given the circumstances, work was the last on her list of priorities. She needed and wanted to be there for Kate, her girlfriend needed her support now more than ever. 

Rana took Kate's hand, stroking it with her thumb. "Stuff work, you're more important. Besides i think Liz knows and she basically gave me the go ahead anyway"

Kate nodded, Johnny hadn't long got off the phone with Liz.

"Er yeah" Kate sniffled "dad phoned Liz to get you but i thought i might try your mobile on the off chance that you weren't with a patient" 

Rana smiled. "wouldn't matter if i had been, i'd have still come straight away. Do Michelle and Carla know?"

Kate nodded again "They should be here anytime, i can't believe he's done this to us"

Wasn't that just a little bit unreasonable? Rana thought. She chose not to say anything, Kate didn't know what she was saying right now. It was the grief talking for her. 

Before she could think of a response, Johnny came out of the flat and gave a sad smile towards Rana. 

"How're you love?" he asked softly.

Johnny was asking her how SHE was? She wasn't the one who'd just lost a child. She felt Kate's hand tighten against her own as she struggled for an answer.

"I'm okay" she replied "i'm really sorry about Aidan"

"Thanks love....Kate listen...I need to tell everyone at the factory the news before they start asking questions. Could you and Rana go to the Rovers when Carla and Michelle arrive?"

Kate nodded as she looked to Rana who smiled sadly at her. 

"Right" he responded as he turned and headed towards Underworld.

 

*******************************************

 

Any other day, going to to the Rovers was something that Kate would look forward to after a long day but today it filled her with dread. 

As she and Rana crossed the threshold, she could sense eyes turning. News of her and Rana being a couple was still rather fresh and there's nothing her neighbors loved more than a good gossip. 

"Everything alright Kate?" Peter asked as he popped up from behind the bar. 

Kate shook her head, everything was far from alright today. "I've got some news...and it er...i just want people to know"

Peter nodded and proceeded to ring the bell. 

"Just quiet down everyone...Kate and Rana have got some news" he exclaimed, rather loudly.

All faces were now trained on the both of them, waiting for the next thing to gossip about for the week. Kate felt Rana take her hand, a reassuring sensation.

"Last night..." she began "...my brother...Aidan....he erm...h..he killed himself"

"Oh Kate i'm so sorry" Peter replied "he was a good bloke"

Kate wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to people's reactions, she was trying to focus on Rana's finger movements on the back of her hand.

"Well we need to get back to the family so..." Rana said, shattering the silenced that lingered in the air. They turned and left the Rovers.

 

*******************************************

 

"Why do you think he did it? Why didn't he talk to us?" Kate asked, pacing the room. She couldn't make sense of any of it.

Rana could only watch and try and offer helpful answers to Kate's questions. It'd been only a couple of hours since they'd announced Aidan's death to everyone at the Rovers and the paramedics and police had finished up and taken Aidan's body a few minutes before. Johnny and Jenny had gone to their flat with Michelle and Carla. 

"I don't have the answers babe. I know you want me to but i don't. I can only guess" Rana sighed. She wanted nothing more than to be able to give Kate the answers she was so desperately seeking but she was hardly a psychologist nor could she communicate with the deceased. To watch her girlfriend so confused and lost was a truly horrible feeling but she knew that making everything right for her was impossible. She could only do her best and be there for Kate. 

"I just feel...left behind" Kate admitted "Did he even think about how we'd feel?"

"I know you do" Rana responded "he would've been in an incredibly bad state of mind, he probably didn't realize the full extent of the repercussions it'd have on you and your family. I know its hard...what did the note say?"

Kate handed it to her to read. Rana slowly grazed the note, it'd clearly been written in best handwriting and had taken time. Aidan was apologising for what he had been about to do, asked them not to be angry and to not be sad because he was in a better place. She couldn't begin to imagine what must have been going through his mind as he wrote it. She finally put it down and noticed Kate staring at her, as if she was waiting for an opinion

"Well?"

Rana shook her head and sighed. 

"I don't know what to say...I've never had to read anything like that before. I suppose we just have to hope that he's found peace" she said.

Kate eventually stopped pacing and sat down on the sofa, shuffling up to Rana.

"I just don't get it. He seemed so happy, buying the dress for summer, giving Liam that watch...christ he even gave dad that Golf club membership!" she sobbed.

Rana pulled Kate close, putting her arm around her and kissing her head. 

"Sometimes people put on a brave face for the sake of the people they love, but behind all that they're fighting battles that we don't know about. Maybe he thought he was sparing you any extra stress...you had enough on your plate with us" she offered.

Rana felt bad for trying to use her and Kate's relationship problems as some kind of explanation for why Aidan hadn't told his sister about his demons but she had to admit that it was a possibility and that they'd never get a proper explanation. It was as good as any.

"Don't know what i'd have done without you today y'know" Kate rasped as she cleared her tears away with her sleeve.

"Girlfriend. Its in the job description to be the shoulder to cry on" Rana said with a smile. The first genuine smile that'd offered all day.

Kate couldn't help but laugh, only Rana could make her laugh at a time like this and she loved her for it. 

"I love you Rana" she whispered.

"I love you too. I always will"

 

 


	2. The Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the true realization sets in for the Connor's, Kate finds herself desperately clinging to what little she has left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, the feedback to the initial chapter wasn't quite what i'd hoped but i hope that in the next few chapters, i can build on that. I didn't want to have the whole thing explode in the opening chapter, that would've been extremely unrealistic in my view. This chapter certainly (i hope) gives the audience a little more insight into how Johnny and Kate are coping with Aidan's suicide. Jenny, Carla and Michelle will get focus in the next chapters. I'm evening thinking of bringing back a familiar face.....

_"Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough" -_ Emily Dickinson

 

Adjusting to change was difficult enough even in the most ordinary, mundane circumstances for Kate. Change and adjustment had become all too familiar in the last twelve months of her life. She'd found herself falling  _madly_ in love with her best friend, coming to terms with Johnny's multiple sclerosis diagnosis and Carla had very nearly died in front of them. Had it not been for Aidan, she would be. She'd of lost not one but two relatives in a matter of months.

Everyone had their means of coping. She had Rana, Carla found herself being able to confide in Peter and Michelle had Robert. Johnny was still trying to pretend he was dealing with it, particularly when Jenny was around but as of late, that hadn't been very much at all. Occasionally she'd notice him, crying silently into the photo albums that had been packed in the boxes that littered the flat. What was she to say? what was she to do? The only thing keeping Kate on the right side of sanity was knowing that Rana was always there. An anchor to reality.

Despite her insisting that it wasn't necessary, Rana had taken compassionate leave from work to be with her. Robert and Michelle had also insisted that she take as much time away from the Bistro as she needed, on full pay. 

Both she and Rana had tried to encourage Johnny to open up to either of them or to Carla but he continued to internalize his grief. She knew it wasn't healthy but putting any extra stress on him wasn't an option with his MS. Kate knew that in his own time, he'd be able to talk about it. For now, she just had to do her best to be there for him just as Rana was there for her. 

"Penny for them?" Rana asked as she noticed Kate's expression, deep in thought. 

Kate snapped back to reality, acknowledging her girlfriend's words.

"Just thinking about how much things have changed since last year. Almost seems like a totally different life compared to now" she scoffed.

Rana couldn't help but agree. When she thought back to how things had been this time last year, it was hard to see exactly how they'd gotten from that point to here. She'd been happily married (in the eyes of Allah anyway, not that she'd ever been a particular subscriber of Islam or religion in general) and had no idea that her friendship with Kate would ever be anything except exactly that. She'd had parents who loved her very much and she didn't feel like an outcast. A completely different life indeed.

"I know" Rana contemplated, caressing the back of Kate's hand with her thumb "I sometimes wonder what life would be like if i hadn't of kissed you that day"

Kate looked at her, an expression that was almost disappointment with a dash of concern.

"I'm glad i did" Rana affirmed, reaching for Kate's face and planting a kiss on her lips. 

Tears began to cascade down Kate's face as the kiss was separated.

"I just can't believe he's gone and so soon after Luke" she sobbed "and the last time i spoke to him was when we were in the pub together. I was a complete bitch to him"

All Rana could do was wrap her arms around Kate and kiss her head. It didn't matter what she said, nothing was going to bring Aidan back, nothing was going to change what had happened. Her only options were to cuddle Kate, listen and offer emotionally soothing responses. She had to try something.

"There's no way you could've known that would be the last time you'd speak to each other, babe" she suggested. 

_Yeah nice one, Rana._

"But i should've noticed that something wasn't right" Kate rasped.

Except that Kate knew deep down that she couldn't have noticed even if she'd tried. Aidan had pulled the wool over their eyes good and proper. Sure he'd acted out of character at times but he'd always had a logical explanation or excuse for it that everyone swallowed without a second thought.

Rana wiped the tears, softly from Kate's face with the cuff of her jumper as the younger woman collected her wits. Their conversation was cut short when Johnny arrived back at the flat.

"Er..hey, you okay?" Kate asked. It was probably a silly question. How could he be feeling okay? He'd just lost his son.

_Not a great start, Kate._

Johnny merely shrugged, to which Kate responded with a hug. "Have you spoken to Jenny?"

Johnny sighed and shook his head "I tried phoning her but i just get the answering machine"

His voice was coarse, null of emotion. Kate could hardly blame him, he'd always been the strong one in the family, now he was suffering just as much as everyone else.

"Just give her time, She'll come back. She probably just wants to give you some space" she reasoned.

"I don't need flamin' space!" Johnny snapped as he got up and went to the bathroom, slamming the door rather forcefully.

Kate hated seeing her dad like this, bottling up his feelings. It wasn't good for him or her. Sooner or later it'd turn nasty, she knew this from her experience after her mum had passed away. He'd shut himself away for weeks, turning to the bottle to drown his sorrows. He didn't have the MS then, it was difficult to predict what could happen this time. She'd lost enough already.

"He'll come round" Rana assured. Perhaps it was her hoping for Kate's sake that he would. It was impossible for her to know what either of them were feeling at a time like this. Her parents were dead emotionally but it didn't compare to the physical loss that her girlfriend was suffering right now.

 

*******************************************

 

"Will you stay with me?" Kate asked, pouring water from the kettle in an effort to make herself a cup of tea.

"Erm..." Rana struggled for a second. She wanted nothing more than to give Kate a straight  _yes_ but she knew that Zee wouldn't approve and would come up with some excuse to get her to stay with him.

_To hell with it. She needs me._

"Of course i will, i'll have to grab some overnight stuff from the house then"

Kate's heart sank into her stomach. Rana had clearly misunderstood her meaning. 

"Not just tonight" she sighed "I want you to be here every night and every morning. I want you to move in with me"

Rana froze, stunned at Kate's sudden confession. Despite how bad her timing was, moving in with Kate was something she'd wanted since they'd officially entered into a relationship. 

"I don't know if now is the right time, babe" she replied.

Kate took her hands, interlocking their fingers and looked Rana in the eyes.

"Now is the perfect time, i know it probably doesn't seem like i'm thinking straight but i know my own mind. I've been thinking about it since we had lunch with Dad and Jenny. I want this. I want us to live together like a proper couple. Everything that's happening has made me realize that i don't want to be away from you anymore than absolutely necessary. If you're comfortable with that"

Rana sighed. She could see Kate's point and couldn't argue that there was a logic to it. Of course she wanted to move in and fall asleep with Kate, wake up with her and everything in between. 

"Okay...alright" Rana declared "If you're absolutely sure that this is what you want then we can talk to Zee and Yasmeen tomorrow and we can start moving my stuff in. I'll get some stuff for tonight whilst he's at work"

Kate smiled and planted a soft and swift kiss on her lips.

"I love you" she beamed.

"I love you too" Rana chuckled as she turned towards the door "won't be long"

_Hurry home......_


	3. Therefore He Was

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the days pass, Kate's true grief begins to set in and Rana tries her utmost to do what is right for her girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...obviously we've now seen the aftermath of Aidan's suicide play out on screen which has lent a good amount of context for the next few chapters, particularly with Kate. I did consider re-doing the whole thing from scratch but i think and hope that i can do this story justice properly now that I've seen the episodes. This chapter is mostly about Kate's grief properly coming to the surface but the name of the chapter "Therefore He Was" is a triple reference to the events of this segment of the story. Its also inspired by another show that i watch.

_"I have found that if you love life, life will love you back" -_ Arthur Rubinstein

 

Every morning she woke with that dreaded realization. The realization that her brother was gone and wasn't coming back again. Ever. It was still so fresh in her memory that it felt like a nightmare that she couldn't wake from. In a way it was because no matter what, the situation wasn't going to change. There was no one to wave a magic wand and make it all okay. At least today, she wasn't waking up alone. Today Rana was there next to her, arm outstretched across Kate. Being spooned by Rana provided a feeling of bliss and safety, as if life was out to hurt her and Rana was her shield. 

" _Morning_ " whispered a voice as she felt a kiss on her shoulder.

"Did you get any sleep?" Rana asked as Kate turned to face her.

She shook her head slowly. The amount of energy it took to simply do that was ungodly enough. She'd not been able to get a wink that previous night despite the comfort of having Rana cuddling her until she had eventually succumbed to the lack of energy and dozed off.

Rana shuffled to hold Kate in her arms "are you sure you want to start moving my stuff today? i really think you should stay here, try and get some sleep"

Kate shook her head once more. Despite the lack of sleep, she found herself not being tired. 

"No. I need to keep myself busy right now, Rana. I want to do this. Besides Zeedan will probably try and manipulate you if you're on your own. I'm not prepared to let him do that. Trust me, i'm coming"

Rana couldn't exactly disagree. It was almost a guarantee that Zee would play with her emotions and try to twist her arm. She simply feared for Kate's emotional well being. Rana recognized that her girlfriend was trying extremely hard to keep her emotions in check since Aidan's death for the sake of her and Johnny.

The worst part is she knew that Kate losing Aidan would mean absolutely nothing when it came to Zee. Compassion was something he'd lost any kind of grasp on a long time ago. He'd still continue to make sly digs at her regardless. 

"If you're really sure. I don't want you to do anything if you don't want to" Rana replied, planting a kiss softly on Kate's lips.

Kate spoke, nervously "I am. I won't have Zee coming between us anymore than he already has. Especially not now. It has to stop"

 

*******************************************

 

Walking towards the Nazir household was something that once felt completely ordinary, now it filled Rana with a sense of dread. How had somewhere that she had once called home ended up feeling like some kind of prison?

Kate rapped her knuckles on the door as they reached the house. Rana still had her key but letting herself in felt wrong now. It wasn't her home anymore. A shadow appeared behind the frosted glass as Yasmeen came to the door.

"Rana!....Kate....I'm so sorry for your loss my dear. Your brother was a very nice young man. Come in, both of you"

"Yeah....thanks" Kate sighed as the two crossed the threshold. 

Kate felt Rana take her hand as they entered the lounge. Whether it was a show of force for Zee or simply a gesture of love, she didn't care. It felt good to have that physical contact. 

"Er, Zeedan!....Rana and Kate are here" Yasmeen called up the stairs.

Zee slowly emerged and shuffled down the steps, immediately glaring in Kate's direction.

"I'll be in the orangery if you need me" Yasmeen said as she turned and walked away.

Zee huffed.

"So..to what do i owe the pleasure" he said, the sarcasm clear in his voice.

Rana looked at Kate, as if for some reassurance. Kate glanced quickly at both of them before returning her gaze to the floor. 

"We've come for my stuff, not that its any concern of yours anymore" she snapped at her husband.

Her words had clearly left Zee in a state of confusion. She could see that he didn't understand what she was saying.

"What....where's it going?"

Either he was in a serious state of denial or was purposely playing dumb. Clearly she was going to have to spell it out for him.

"I'm moving in to the flat with Kate" she replied, trying harder than she should have had to in an effort to make her point crystal clear.

Zeedan's face became clouded by anger, his hands forming fists as he processed what Rana had just said.

"You" he replied slowly "are moving in...with her?!", pointing at Kate.

"I do have a name, Zee!" Kate snapped.

Rana nodded, glaring at him "can you not just be reasonable, Zee? in case you've forgotten, Kate just lost her brother and there's no reason for me to stay here anymore. Kate is my girlfriend and my future. I want to live with her"

"And i'm sorry about that, really i am....i thought we were getting on though? getting things back on track?" he said, sadness clear in his voice.

_Don't let him guilt trip you Rana_

"Zee just because i've helped out at Speed Daal a bit, it doesn't change anything" she reasoned "I love Kate. I don't love you. Not like that and i'm sorry if that hurts to hear But there's absolutely no point sugar coating it. I didn't mean to give you any false hope"

Zee turned away from them, clearly upset by Rana's confession.

"Just get your stuff and get out" he barked "and you can leave your key on the side when you go. You won't be needing it anymore"

The women proceeded upstairs, sorting Rana's possessions into hold alls and suitcases. The mood was despondent at best as a result of the moments prior. Despite knowing that Zeedan wouldn't act rationally, it still hurt that he couldn't be civil with Kate.

As they gathered up the bags, Rana's hand dived into her handbag. She pulled out her key to the Nazir household and took a last look at the intricate piece of metal before letting it fall from her hand. 

 

*******************************************

 

Rana once again found herself making tea. Tea that would inevitably sit untouched on the table, slowly losing the heat. It was more out of habit now than an actual need.

"Thank you for what you said back there" Kate mumbled as Rana placed the cups down on the table, forcing a smile.

"I meant every word" Rana replied "there's nothing standing in our way now. Its just us. I love you"

Kate shuffled over to Rana and pulled her into a kiss. A kiss filled with heat and passion. Rana could barely process what was happening as Kate suddenly pulled her over her lap, Rana's thighs either side of her legs.

Kate's hands found their way to the buttons of Rana's shirt and began to undo them.

"Kate!" Rana exclaimed, pulling away from the embrace.

Either Kate hadn't heard her or didn't care as she continued to unbutton her girlfriends shirt.

"Kate,  _stop_. Not like this"

Kate stared at her, as if she'd just frozen in place. The pain in her eyes made Rana's heart ache. 

"Don't you fancy me anymore?" she faltered, tears building up in her eyes as she moved herself away from Rana and turned to face away from her.

Rana sighed as she rebuttoned her shirt "of course i do Kate. You're beautiful but that...this....its the grief talking. Its not you"

As much as Kate didn't want to admit it, Rana was right. She was trying with every ounce of strength that she had to stay strong and it was slowly draining her. She hadn't wanted Rana to see her break down. Knowing that she'd never see her big brother again was destroying her. Aidan had been her rock the last few months whilst she'd been going through the difficulties presented by her relationship with Rana.

The last time she'd seen Aidan, Kate had been absolutely paralytic after a heavy drinking session at Johnny & Jenny's leaving party in the Rovers. She'd noticed Aidan looking sad but had been too drunk to think anything of it. She'd figured it was just because Johnny would be going to Spain. Little did she know that a few hours later, he'd be gone. It was eating her up, knowing there was a chance that he might still be alive if she'd not gotten so drunk.

"I miss him so much" Kate sobbed "its my fault"

Rana immediately rose from the sofa and threw her arms around Kate, holding her tightly.

"Sshhh sshhh. Don't blame yourself okay. It wasn't your fault. There's no guarantee he wouldn't have done it regardless babe"

_For christ sake, what did you say that for?!_

She stood and let Kate cry into her shoulder, stroking her hair as the tears flowed. Eventually Kate composed herself, wiping the tears away with her jumper. Her and Rana's gaze met for a moment. For that second, everything else ceased. There was just her and the woman she loved.

Rana cupped both of Kate's cheeks in her hands, pulling her in for a soft kiss.

For Rana, it was almost a role reversal. Usually it was her doing the crying and Kate being the one to comfort her, being the strong one in the relationship.

"But if i hadn't got so drunk at Dad and Jenny's party i could've spoken to him properly and he might not have gone through with it" her breath faltered as the words came out.

Rana knew it was a losing battle to try and convince Kate that she wasn't to blame for any of this. She'd had enough experience of feeling immense guilt and she could understand that Kate felt a strong degree of responsibility. It was part of the process.

"We can't change what happened, Kate. I wish we could but we can't" Rana said tentatively.

Kate nodded slowly, realizing Rana was right. If Aidan had been that far gone, he'd have probably gone through with it regardless of whether she'd spoken to him sober that night.

 

*******************************************

 

For the first time since her brother's death, everyone was together in the same room. her, Johnny, Jenny, Michelle, Carla and Rana. 

"So what now?" Michelle asked, the volume of her voice little more than a whisper.

Johnny shook his head, clearly he didn't want to be the one to try and answer the question.

"Erm" Jenny began "well i suppose we'll have to do the will and see if he had any specific requests for us to carry out after.....after his death"

Rana felt uncomfortable being here, like an outcast that didn't belong. This was Kate's family, this was their private business.

"I'll leave you all to chat" she interjected, as she got up to leave she was cut off by Johnny.

"Don't leave Rana" he sighed "you're a part of this family now. Stay, please"

Hearing Johnny say that at a time like this was both reassuring and sad. As if he was trying to replace Aidan with her. Of course he wasn't, it was just unfortunate timing but she appreciated the sentiment all the same.

Rana resumed her position next to Kate, taking her girlfriends hand tightly as she felt her tense when Johnny began talking about the next steps of the posthumous plans.

 

For now, there was calm but Kate knew it wouldn't last too long. The worst was still to come...

 

 


	4. Binding Ties & Perspective Of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day of the will reading and everyone is on edge. Told entirely from Rana's first person perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Telling a story in the 3rd person can be difficult enough, especially when you're not necessarily in the right mindset. I originally had started it with a standard 3rd person setting but quickly decided it might be more interesting to see it through Rana's eyes. Just bear in mind I've not written in this way before.

_"Live each day as if it is a precious gift, because it is" -_ John Di Lemme

 

It's the day of the will reading. A day that everyone has been nervous about, nervous of the unknown outcomes of Aidan's last will and testament. I can see that Kate is on edge, more so than usual. Not knowing what her family might find will do that.

The Connor's, Robert, Kate and me have gathered at Johnny's flat and Imran has arrived for the will reading. I'm grateful that my brother offered to take care of it and is here as moral support for myself and Kate, god knows we need it.

"So how does this all work?" asks Johnny quietly.

Imran takes a seat and sets his briefcase down on the coffee table, pulling open the clasps.

"Essentially i'll read to you what Aidan wrote in his last testament, if he had any specific messages that he wanted passed onto you and then we'll get onto the will part where i'll lay out any requests that he wanted carried out on the occasion of his death...including any possessions that he wanted passed to specific friends or family"

Johnny winces at the word death, as if it's still not quite sinking in for him. I can hardly blame him, what happened with my parents is still sinking in for me and that's nothing compared to what Kate's family are going through right now. 

"Well lets not waste any time eh?" Carla suggests, whether out of a lack of patience or a simple emotional need for it to be over.

"Okay" Imran declares.

"I, Aidan Connor, being of sound mind and body declare that this is my final will and testament that is to be read only in the event of my death......"

The mood feels tense as Imran reads Aidan's final messages & bequests. I can feel Kate almost shaking with anxiety. Not knowing what was going to be said is creating a sense of unease amongst us. 

The list of messages continues to be read, to mixed reactions from tears to sad smiles and blank faces. I think Aidan is saying he's sorry that he's left his family behind but i'm more distracted by Kate's not to subtle movements. I'm stroking the back of her hand with my thumb in an effort to get her to relax but it's not really working.

".....my final bequest is to transfer my complete ownership share of Underworld to....." 

Imran stops dead. Something is clearly very wrong. What is it?

"What is it, Imran? Who has he left it to?" Carla demands. I can see the worry in her face and the concern in my brothers.

Imran looks around at everyone, dread in his eyes at what he's about to say. I think i already know the answer.

_"Alya Nazir"_

Johnny looks to Carla in confusion and Carla to me and Kate. Aidan has left the factory....to Alya instead of his own family?

Johnny's gaze turns to Imran, a stern expression spreading across his face.

"Tell me you're joking" he says coldly.

Imran shakes his head, clearly just as surprised as everyone else.

"There  _must_ be some kind of mistake" Carla chimes "I mean surely he would leave the factory to one of us as we are family!" 

I can feel the grip of Kate's hand getting tighter, i think she's probably as angry as i am given how Alya has tried to make our lives a misery since she found out about us. On a list of people who deserve to be left something like that, Alya's name isn't there.

"i wish there was guys but that's exactly what it says and its a legal requirement to carry out the contents of the will" Imran says.

I can't imagine how guilty he probably feels right now, delivering a blow like that, as if losing Aidan wasn't bad enough in itself.

Before i know it, i find myself contributing to the conversation

"I don't get why he'd leave it to Alya though? She's a bitch!"

That makes Kate laugh a little, perhaps unintentionally but its an improvement regardless. It's the truth as well. She's been unnecessarily spiteful towards me and Kate. Somehow she'd taken the news even worse than Zeedan had. Even he was being more reasonable about all this than she was and that's saying something. 

Nobody is challenging me on that so i'm going to assume everyone is in agreement. I even noticed Imran smirking.

"So....what now?" Michelle queries.

Imran huffs, trying to think of the right thing to say.

"You might be able to challenge it in court, try and prove that Aidan wasn't of sound mind when he wrote the will....i think that's the only real chance at keeping the factory unless Alya turns it down"

Kate scoffs "ha, yeah as if"

She's right though. Alya won't turn it down. if anything she'll see it as a chance to get under mine and Kate's skin and jump at the chance. She's continually taken every opportunity to have a dig at us so far, hanging around in our lives like a bad smell.

"Kate has a point. I don't think Alya will turn it down and i certainly don't see her giving it up once she's got control either. We have to consider taking it to court" Carla says, she sounds rightfully angry at the idea of Alya being her superior. 

Johnny is looking over the document, understandably confused.

"I can't believe he'd do this to us, regardless of his mental state. We're his family for godsake. Why would he choose flamin' Alya over any of us?" he says, angrily tossing the folder onto the table. 

Of course no one has the answer. We never will. Kate releases her grip from my hand, getting up to make tea. I suppose we could all do with one right now.

"Erm" Robert interjects "couldn't you just not tell Alya? I mean what she doesn't know won't hurt her, surely?" he offers.

I have to admit, Robert is on the money there but Imran is a solicitor and he might be able to pull the odd trick here and there but i suspect this will be the exception.

"I see where you're coming from with that but like i said, it's a legal requirement to carry out the contents of the will. If you want to take back the factory, your only play is to go the legal route" he replies.

As they continue to converse, i get up and walk over to Kate. My hands reach her sides as i rest my head on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" i ask, softly and slowly. It's probably a dumb question but instinct dictates that i ask it regardless.

Kate turns to me and offers a weak smile, it's not like i'm expecting much more right now.

"I'm just wondering what else life is going to throw at us before the dust settles" she sighs.

I can't tell if she means the two of us or me and her family. I don't suppose it matters either way. Whatever the case, it'll mean more stress for Kate and by attachment, me.

"Well whatever we're faced with, we have each other. We'll face it together like everything else" I say, trying to sound reassuring but i can already see that Kate isn't convinced.

Her expression turns to something that has all the signs of disappointment.

"I know but Rana, Zee is still around. He's still deluding himself into believing that me and you aren't for keeps and that he still has some kind of chance with you. He needs to have it put straight to him that you've moved on"

There's desperation in her voice, as if she wishes that what she's saying wasn't true. I wish it wasn't the case as well. I honestly thought i'd made my position clear enough by moving my stuff from the Nazir household. Why can't he just accept it?

"I'll talk to him again, make it crystal clear. Promise. Speaking of, did you talk to Sophie?"

Kate nods at me in response.

"She told me about their last conversation but i think she mostly felt guilty because of the text. She did suggest that maybe we all go out on Friday for a few drinks, if you're up for that?"

The idea of going out and getting plastered whilst all this is going on isn't something i'd expect to be in favor of but i think perhaps Kate could use the distraction. I have to wonder though, who is we?

"When you say we....you mean the three of us? You, me and Sophie?"

Kate looks awkwardly at me, a discreet smile creeping its way onto her face.

"...and Gemma" she admits.

I feel slightly taken aback by that. I barely know Gemma, i've only ever really spoken to her in passing but whatever, Kate's happy with it so i'm happy. I should probably start getting to know Kate's friends anyway.

"That's fine by me" i decide as Kate hands me my cup of tea "thanks very much"

Imran and the Connor's are still deep in conversation. At least its somewhat calm given the situation that has presented itself and Kate isn't crying. For now, there's a sense of normality but i think everyone in the room knows that it won't last long. We just have to make the most of it whilst we've got it.


	5. Goodbye To All That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate and Rana are temporarily distracted from recent events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter basically focuses on Kate and Rana's relationship developing as Rana has moved in. Lightly references the events of last week's episodes but i'm changing Zeedan's exit to basically make it a little more interesting because the writers on the show rushed it. Keeping in continuity with previous chapters but this one does not make it the main focus. I've planned up to chapter 10 so there's still plenty of time for me to flesh out the story, especially as i'm fairly sure a Kana drought is imminent.

_"Don't ruin a good today by thinking about a bad yesterday" -_ Unknown

 

 

When Kate looked at Rana, she was looking at the one she loved. The one she needed and the one she was meant to be with. Her soulmate.

Before her she'd had many disastrous "casual" relationships that usually broke off because she'd gotten bored and lost interest or because the other person was pushing things st too fast a pace for Kate's liking.  _Imogen_.

With Rana there wasn't any of that. If anything there was the complete opposite. There was longing, list and genuine, unconditional love. Nothing about Rana was boring or undesirable. Nothing.

Seven months ago, Rana had kissed her for the first time which was particularly unexpected given that she'd assumed Rana to be a homophobe mere days before. When she'd kissed her, it was like a firework going off. A firework that had taken its time to burn on the stick before finally revealing its true nature. 

Since then, there'd been consistent bumps in the road.

Rana hadn't exactly made things easy at first, being torn between her loyalty to Zeedan and her love for Kate and then Luke blackmailing them to come clean about their forbidden love and then Luke's sudden death which was later revealed to be one of four murders committed by the late Pat Phelan, the contract and the kidnapping.....the list never seemed to end.

After finally making their relationship official back in March, things seemed to be finally looking up. Of course it didn't last. Happiness never does. Now the worst bump in the road had caused irreparable damage.

Now Aidan was dead.

Kate sat, staring straight ahead. She was clearly deep in thought, deep enough to barely blink as Rana came through the door. The smell of chinese food filled the room as she set the bag down on the side and hung her leather jacket up.

"Got your favorite" Rana beamed "Chicken chow mein and keema fried race. Got myself egg fried rice with sweet and sour chicken balls. They're huge!"

Kate snapped out of her trance like state, smirking at Rana's choice of words. Her girlfriend immediately noticed her expression and rolled her eyes.

"Kate Connor you are such a child honestly" she grinned.

Kate chuckled "how am i meant to not laugh when you say the word balls and huge in the same sentence? Even i'm amused by that, Rana"

Rana shook her head in mock disbelief, grinning at Kate's dry sense of humour. She set the food down on the coffee table and kissed her girlfriend.

"How was your day?" Rana asked as she dug into her dinner.

Kate huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Dragged to be honest. Robert's got time off to recover, Michelle is looking after him so its just me, Daniel and Simon in the kitchen. No pressure at all" she replied with a not so subtle hint of sarcasm. 

Rana looked sadly at her as she took a bite of her food. Kate had only returned to work a few days previous and Rana knew that it was too soon but the rent wasn't going to pay itself.

"What about you?" Kate wondered aloud.

Rana was confused "what about me...what?"

"Your day" Kate replied "How was it?"

"Ohhh y'know, same as ever really. Got some interesting gossip though" Rana said, a cheeky grin on her face.

Kate's eyebrow arched, in both amusement and curiousity.

"Apparently Alya tried to plead our case to Zee, surprising i know! Anyway he got all snappy with her and she properly clipped him one according to Kayla"

Rana could see that Kate was trying to hide her very obvious smirk, not doing a particularly good job. She had to admit even to herself that Alya slapping Zee was something she wished she'd been there to witness. However Alya actually saying something reasonably pleasant about them was new indeed. Maybe this cloud did have a silver lining. Maybe.

As Kate ate her food, Rana could see her facial expression return to the blank and sad state that has greeted her as she returned home. Was it best left? Was asking the obvious question a good idea? At times it was impossible to know what the right thing to do was. 

She took a glance at her phone and saw a text from Imran.

_'Just checking in, you and Kate okay? Bro x'_

Rana quickly typed a reply, trying not to seem ignorant to Kate.

_'I'm fine but i think Kate is still putting on a brave face. Don't know what i should do....R x'_

She set her phone down on the coffee table and shuffled up to Kate, cuddling her.

"Do you want to talk?" Rana asked softly, hoping that Kate would want to open up with her.

Kate looked at her and huffed "I'm fine....just a lot on my mind is all"

Rana took Kate's hand into her own.

"What's on your mind?"

"Everything" Kate replied "work, me and you, Zee and Alya, Michelle still wanting to do the wedding and now Dad's talking about Aidan's funeral....I'm not sure i've even come to terms with what happened and now they're talking about burying him"

It was understandable that Kate's emotions were all over the place. Aidan's suicide was still very fresh to everyone, she could barely believe what she was hearing when Michelle had asked her and Kate to be bridesmaids at the wedding.

"I think Robert would understand if you wanted to take some more time off work, babe" Rana offered

Kate shook her head "we need the money and besides, i could use the distraction at the moment"

"Suppose" Rana retorted.

 

 

*******************************************

 

 

 

Rana was sat opposite Imran in his office as he downed a mouthful of Coffee. 

"So" he began "Kate's gone back to work already?"

Rana nodded, a hint of frustration present.

"yeah....we've got to pay the rent at the end of the day and she says she could use the distraction. It's not healthy for her Imran"

Imran smiled "maybe its just her way of coping? Everyone processes grief in different ways, Rana"

"I just feel useless" Rana sighed "like i can't make it better for her. I hate seeing her like that"

Imran offered a sad but understanding smile

"You just need to be there for her sis. Be her shoulder to cry on and just listen to her. That's all you can do unless you've been practicing Necromancy" he said with a slight smile.

It probably wasn't the best joke to crack but appropriate timing had never been her brother's strongest suit. She knew that his jokes were in the best of intentions.

"You'd think that Michelle would've postponed the wedding until after the funeral though. I can't believe she's still going ahead with it next week" Rana scoffed.

Imran stopped dead as he was about to take another mouthful of coffee.

"She's doing what?!"

"I know, and if that isn't bad enough she's asked me and Kate to be bridesmaids!" Rana said as she pulled her buzzing phone out of her pocket.

_Speak of the devil._

"Hi Kate...what?....erm ok i'll come home straight away" Rana hurriedly said down the phone.

'Its ok, go on' Imran mouthed and gestured for her to go before she'd even hung up.

As she power walked down Victoria Street, Sean noticed her and called over.

"Ooh Rana! Have you got a minute chuck?"

Rana continued walking, not even registering Sean's attempt to get her attention. Kate had told her that a police officer had wanted to talk to her and ask her some questions. What would a police officer want with her?

 

 

*******************************************

 

 

Kate had gotten so used to hearing Rana ring the intercom and buzzing her in, that hearing the door open without the buzz would make her jump until she saw who it was coming through the door.

"What's up? I'm not in trouble am i?" Rana asked worriedly as she closed the door behind her.

The police officer stepped forward "Rana Nazir?"

Rana looked urgently at Kate, trying to find some kind of clarity. With no kind of assurance or answer from Kate, she turned to the police officer.

"Er..yeah. What can i do for you officer?" 

"We believe your husband, Zeedan Nazir attacked a man last week in an alleyway at the bottom end of the street but we're having some trouble locating him. I spoke to his grandmother, Yasmeen Nazir earlier on. She does't seem to know where he's disappeared to and your girlfriend informs me that you might be able to help us find him" he replied, his voice was kind.

Kate and Rana exchanged a look. Whether out of worry or relief, neither of them had any idea that Zee had even gone missing. He could've been in the restaurant as usual for all they knew.

"i'm sorry officer, i don't know where my husband is. I'm sure you can piece together that our marriage is over with the fact that i'm in a relationship with Kate. Have you checked Speed Daal? Its the restaurant dead opposite the alleyway. He's the owner" Rana offered.

The officer smiled.

"We've already checked there Mrs Nazir, there's no sign of him. Does he have any friends that he might stay with? A place to lie low perhaps?" he asked politely.

There was one.

"You could try Robert....Robert Preston. He owns Viaduct Bistro on Coronation Street. Zee worked there before he started up Speed Daal. They're good friends" Rana concluded.

The officer smiled once more.

"Thank you. We'll check around. I'm sorry to have called you away from your business and disturbing your day. We'll be in touch if we need anything else"

He put away his notebook and turned to walk out of the flat. When he was gone, Kate turned to Rana.

"Please tell me you didn't know anything  about this" she said.

Rana looked shocked. Did Kate seriously believe that she would keep secrets from her?

"No! I'm just as in the dark about this as you are! He hasn't said anything to me about doing a disappearing act! He must be panicking about what happened!" she replied, a twinge of annoyance in her voice.

Kate looked at her wide eyed.

"You don't think...." Kate began but stopped herself.

"What?" Rana asked worriedly.

"You don't think maybe he's told Imran and he's letting Zee hide out at his place?" Kate pondered

_"KATE!"_

Rana was trying very hard not to be angry at her girlfriend's suggestion that her brother was keeping something from her. He wouldn't keep something like that from her. Not Imran. He made questionable choices sometimes and he remained a friend of Zee's but he wouldn't do that.......would he?


	6. Our Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rana and Kate decide to redecorate their flat now that Alya has moved out and Rana takes the opportunity to take Kate shopping for new stuff to take her mind off recent events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other night i posted on Twitter about how i wanted to redecorate my own flat and mentioned IKEA (i shop i detest) and within a few hours i saw two different fanfics about Kana going shopping at IKEA so i figured i'd do my own version as well. All being well, i'll write chapter seven immediately after this.
> 
> I also apologize for the decline in my quality of writing recently. I am trying folks, honest.

_"The day which we fear is our last is but the birthday of eternity" -_ Unknown

 

Rana was awoken by the buzzing of her phone on the bedside table. Kate remained asleep next to her, she looked so content and peaceful and her soft wavy hair was splayed across the pillow. Her arm was draped across Rana.

She took a glance at her phone to see who or what had woken her.

_'1 missed call : Imran Habeeb, 09;24'_

Rana yawned as she placed her phone back down on the table. She'd call Imran back later, assuming he didn't try her again first.

She reached down to Kate's and moved a strand of hair out of the way for her to plant a trail of kisses down her love's neck. 

"Mmmm" Kate groaned as she stirred from her slumber.

She slowly opened her eyes and smiled tiredly at Rana.

"Morning sleepyhead" said Rana, stroking Kate's hair.

It took Kate a moment to properly wake, she'd been in a deep sleep, thanks to a sleeping pill Rana had administered the night before to help her get off.

"What time is it?" Kate whispered.

Rana looked at her phone once again.

_'10:12'_

"Nearly quarter past ten, babe" she replied softly.

"Should probably get up" Kate said, biting her lip. She knew that Rana went mad for that and would make her want to stay in bed with her.

"Yeah....." Rana giggled "i feel like thats exactly the opposite of what you want"

Kate grinned at her and mustered the strength to pull Rana on top of her.

"You know me so well" Kate laughed as she attacked her girlfriend's face and neck with kisses.

"Ahhhh" Rana groaned passionately "much as i'd love to continue....we do have shopping to do, babe. We'll never get this place redecorated otherwise"

Kate rolled her eyes and huffed but Rana knew it was in jest and she'd make sure she made it up to Kate tonight anyway.

"Fair point" Kate said, yawning as she dragged herself out of bed.

Rana smiled "I'll make us some breakfast"

She threw on her dressing gown. Of course there was no real need to, it had just become a force of habit. Walking around in her underwear and a baggy t-shirt wasn't something she had dared to do when she'd lived with Zee and Yasmeen and yet it was the norm for Kate.

Kate hugged her from behind as she popped some bread in the toaster and flicked the kettle on. Rana smiled, turning round to kiss her girlfriend. The little displays of affection were starting to become second nature now and it was a blessed relief from the secret liaisons in alleyways and bathroom hookups on nights out.

"Where do you think we should go to get stuff today?" Rana asked. Interior design had never been her specialty, but then it didn't seem to be Kate's either.

"Up to you babe. We can either do a trip to B&Q and Screwfix, get the stuff we need, get back here and make a start...or" Kate began.

"Or what?"

"...Or we can have a day out exploring IKEA"

Rana's face was a picture of confusion. What was this tradition of having to spend a whole day at IKEA? Why couldn't people just go in, get what they need and come back out again? Who came up with that?

"An entire day? Are we going to buy the entire shop?" Rana replied sarcastically.

Kate laughed at Rana's enthusiasm, or lack thereof.

"It's just tradition. It's what people do. We can have lunch there and everything and it means we only have to drive there and back. We can take the van"

_The van._ The place in which Kate had first confessed to being in love with Rana. The day that there was no going back from. They'd broken down in the middle of nowhere and very nearly been caught in a compromising position by Alya during the first of many discreet liaisons but neither of the women could be more thankful for the unfortunate circumstances that led to that moment.

"Your wish is my command" Rana smiled as she handed Kate a plate of toast and a cup of tea "grubs up"

 

 *******************************************

 

Quiet filled the van during the journey. Rana had decided to drive the journey there and Kate had agreed to swap for the journey home. Neither cared much for the radio and so it remained muted. Sometimes the silence was loud enough. 

"I was thinking Teal" Kate said out of nowhere.

Rana briefly looked at her, confusion being present in her gaze.

"What you on about?"

"Teal paint, for the walls. I'm sick of seeing the existing colors. Repainting needs to be the first job" Kate replied.

"Not like the entirety though?" Rana asked.

"No just the smaller wall sections. The main walls can be re-papered. There's some lovely wallpaper that i saw on the website. They should have some" Kate responded "it's like a bookshelf design, all 3D and that. I remember Aidan showing it to me before....."

She didn't have to finish the sentence. She didn't need to. Rana knew what she would've said and understood why she'd trailed off before the words came out.

Rana offered Kate a smile, a smile that said  _i know._

Before she could speak again, she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket.

"Babe can you get that, it's probably Imran" she said as she handed Kate her phone. Kate couldn't help but smile at the fact that Rana wanted her to answer her phone for her. The tiny things like that made her heart swell with joy.

"Hello" Kate exclaimed as she put it to her ear.

_"Oh hi Kate. Is Rana there?"_

"She's with me but she's driving. What's up?"

_"Oh i just wanted to check that she was still on for lunch today?"_

"Imran says you've got a lunch today" Kate said as she temporarily pulled the phone away from her ear.

Bugger. It was only now that Rana had remembered she had promised to meet Imran for lunch today. Maybe she still could?

"Ask him if he wants to come and help us at IKEA. We can meet him there"

Kate returned the phone to her ear.

"We're on our way to IKEA to get some stuff for redecorating the flat, fancy meeting us for lunch and you can help us pick out some stuff?"

_"Give me half an hour. I'll text when i get there and i'll come and find you"_

"Alright see you there Imran" Kate replied and hung up, passing the phone back to Rana.

"He'll meet us there"

 

 *******************************************

 

Rana had been examining the the selection of various paints when the text came in.

_'Going to be late. Traffic. Be there ASAP. Bro x'_

"That Imran?" Kate queried as she tore her attention away from the paint selection and noticed Rana pulling out her phone.

Rana nodded "running late because of the traffic. Typical!"

Kate smiled and returned her attention to the paint.

"I know i said Teal but i actually quite like this Deep Purple. What do you think?"

Rana shoved her phone back into her pocket and turned to see where Kate was pointing.

"Nice! That'd look lovely!" Rana nodded in approval of her girlfriend's choice.

She slowly dropped the tub of paint onto the cart.

Kate beamed and pulled her into a kiss. Ordinarily Rana would still be slightly twitchy about PDA's, it was still relatively new to her but she didn't care anymore. She liked seeing Kate happy, especially given the recent circumstances.

"Right.....wallpaper!" Kate grinned as she pulled herself off Rana "over here!"

She pulled open a catalogue to identify which tube contained the wallpaper she had seen online.

"This one!" she exclaimed, tapping Rana's arm in excitement. Rana looked at the picture correlating to the label number on the page.

"Oh gosh - that's gorgeous!" she replied "I can see why Aidan liked it!"

Kate's smile faded as she looked at her with heavy eyes.

"Oh god - Kate i'm so sorry i shouldn't have....."

"It's fine" Kate replied slowly "it's just 'liked'....past tense"

Rana pulled her into a soft hug. Kate wasn't crying but was clearly upset.

"Anyway" Kate said as she composed herself "it's erm 5A, i'd get a couple of tubes and if we need anymore, we can do an online shop save us coming back"

Rana leant down and pulled two tubes of design 5A onto the cart.

"Excellent bottom" Kate sniggered.

Rana rolled her eyes "What is it with you and my arse? Do you two want to be left alone together?"

Kate simply arched her eyebrow to which Rana responded by shaking her head in mock disbelief.

"Well that's the walls sorted, Miss Connor" she beamed "so utensils and decorative stuff. What is your stance on Yankee Candles?"

Kate looked at her, contemplating her answer.

"As long as they burn safely and aren't going to melt wax everywhere"

Rana bought two of them over to show her. They were the large candles protected by a glass jar. 'Black Cherry' and 'Season of Peace" were the ones that Rana was holding.

"Perfect" Kate confirmed with a smile.

"Cool" Rana giggled "I know they're both in plastic boxes but i'll stick them in this bag just so they're less at risk of breaking than being on the cart with the heavy stuff"

Kate loved how protective Rana was , it was one of her cutest traits. Even if it was something as small as a couple of candles.

She smiled at Rana as her girlfriend pulled her phone from her pocket and put it to her ear.

"Hi Imran.....yeah we're just over in wall decorations....okay see you in a sec"

Rana pulled her phone away and back into her pocket.

"is he here?" Kate asked with a smile.

"I have a name and yes i am" called a voice.

Imran appeared from behind one of the racks, smiling at the women. He was wearing his usual attire of a suit and wool overcoat. Not exactly dressed for shopping.

"Made it in the end then?" Rana grinned.

Imran raised his eyebrow and laughed "took me ages to get a parking space close to the van, honestly its an absolute nightmare. Give me a multi-storey any day of the week!"

Kate felt quite smug that they'd gotten a straight drive out parking space almost immediately after arriving.

"I'm glad you're here" Rana admitted "we've got something we want to talk to you about over lunch"

Imran's eyebrow arched. This was the first she'd mentioned to him of wanting to talk to him about something specific. Kate's expression was one of seriousness and excitement simultaneously. What was it that Rana was wanting to talk about?

 

*******************************************

 

"I want to start divorce proceedings" Rana confessed.

Imran wasn't overly surprised. He'd suspected this confession would come sooner rather than later now that Zeedan was out of their lives. There was no point continuing in a marriage for them, Rana had found her true soulmate in Kate.

"Okay...." Imran began "well that's easy enough. Even if we can't track down Zeedan, its not a problem. Erm you've got your copy of your marriage certificate right?"

Rana looked puzzled as she tried to recall whether it was in her possession or not.

"I think Yasmeen has it to be honest. I'm pretty sure i asked her to put it away for me after me and Zee got married"

Imran nodded "again its not a problem if you haven't, we can easily obtain a copy from the general register office anyway if necessary"

Kate smiled as Rana took her hand on the table. She'd been picking at a Tuna Pasta salad and and Rana had eaten a Chicken & Stuffing sandwich. Imran meanwhile had just bought himself a coffee and a flapjack.

"So..." Imran giggled as he took a sip of his coffee before turning to Kate "I guess you're thinking of making an honest woman of my sister some day?"

Kate chocked on her food at Imran's words.

"Imran!" Rana exclaimed, punching her brother playfully in the arm.

"It's all in jest don't worry. It's nice to see you so happy Rana, i'm glad you two found each other, despite everything. I can see you make my sister very happy Kate" he replied, flashing a reassuring wink at her.

Rana stroked Kate's arm "she does"

"Good!" Imran affirmed "well if we can get this divorce done nice and quickly, it'll mean you can start thinking about going ahead with it"

Kate laughed "I'll have to get down on one knee for this one first eh"

Imran and Rana shared a look of amusement at the suggestion.

"No rush" Rana reassured, batting her eyelids.

"Anyway..." Imran interjected "what exactly are you buying from here? aside from what's already on the cart?"

Rana looked to Kate to provide an answer, an answer that seemed to be evading her. Neither had exactly written a shopping list.

"Just...small furnishings i suppose. We've already got furniture which we're happy with so it's just making the place look and feel like our own" Rana replied, gesturing to the environment they found themselves in.

"Careful Kate" Imran joked "you let my sister put her hand to decorating and you'll end up like one of those people on that perfect home show"

Kate sat quietly and smiled. In truth she was feeling somewhat jealous of Rana in that moment. Jealous because Rana's brother was still here, still alive and still very much a part of her life. she didn't have that anymore. Maybe she missed Aidan more than she initially realised. The reality was starting to sink in that he wasn't coming back.

"Earth to Kate" Rana chuckled.

Kate snapped back to reality "sorry, i was in my own little world there"

"Are you ready to carry on shopping?" Rana asked, holding out her hand for Kate.

Kate took her hand and interlocked their fingers.

"Right...small furnishings!" she beamed.

 

*******************************************

 

"Right you two, i'll meet you back at the flat i suppose as my back seats are packed with your stuff!" Imran laughed.

Kate raised her eyebrows "remind me never to let your sister drag me here again, Imran"

"Hey!" Rana said playfully "still at least we got everything we needed"

"Oh, do you think?" Imran said sarcastically, gesturing towards the vehicles full of various assorted household items "Sabine was always wanting to come here for one reason or another. Usually to buy stuff with my credit card"

Kate shrugged "at least we won't have to come back anytime soon, thats a bonus"

"There is a god after all" Imran cheered as he got into his car.

The two girls just laughed as they got into the van, swapping positions from their previous journey.

 

*******************************************

 

"Okay" Imran sighed "that is everything"

The lounge area of the flat was covered in the items that they'd bought from IKEA, a maze of decorations & DIY.

Kate nodded slowly, smiling towards Rana.

"Yeah...its going to take us ages to sort through all this lot but there's no rush, all i want to do tonight is chill out and snuggle with this one" she declared, putting her arms through Rana's and leaning her head on her shoulder.

Imran rolled his eyes "well i'll get off and leave you to it then. Don't do anything i wouldn't do"

"Thank you, Imran!" Rana called as Imran was closing the door behind him. As he left, she turned to Kate.

"Pizza takeaway?"

"Rana Habeeb..." she sighed "you are a bloody genius"

 

 


	7. You And I, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate asks Rana to be her date to Michelle's wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kana gets even more domestic in this chapter is all you really need to know i suppose. As you can probably tell from the last couple of chapters, the whole Aidan thing is becoming background much like in the actual show but if i go through with the ideas i have brewing, it will come back to the forefront later on, particularly after the Rochelle wedding. I'm trying very hard to keep you guys reading LOL!

_"I was quiet, but i was not blind" -_ Jane Austen

 

Rana began to stir from her sleep as her phone rang out, shattering the peaceful silence. She tapped the screen as she put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she groaned, blinking rapidly to keep her eyes open. 

_"Flippin' heck you still in bed?"_

Rana raised her eyebrow.

"It's my day off. I'm making the most of it" she yawned.

_"Alright for some...listen will you come and have lunch with me?"_

"Ooh, a lunch date?" Rana replied sarcastically.

_"Don't sound so surprised Rana"_ Kate replied  _"besides i want to talk to you about the wedding"_

Rana laughed "a date request and a proposal? It must be true love"

_"For a comedian you make a great nurse babe"_

Rana couldn't help but love Kate for her sarcasm, there was something strangely attractive and desirable about it.

"I've got hidden talents" she replied "I take it you want me to meet you at the Bistro?"

_"Yeah i'll get Robert to make your favorite, don't be late"_

"I won't. I'll see you at lunch. I love you!" 

_"I love you more"_

Rana smiled as the call ended. Saying the three words was something that had once scared her and made her feel vulnerable. Now it gave her butterflies and a sense of joy. Kate had really changed her, in the best possible way. She'd done that.

 

*******************************************

 

Kate was serving table six when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a slight chill enter the room. She didn't even need to turn around to know that Rana had just walked into the restaurant.

She turned and smiled at her girlfriend who'd chosen to wear her yellow floral top and Kate's denim jacket. As Kate had once said 'thats the beauty of sleeping with another woman - double your wardrobe' and this proved exactly that.

"Hey, not late am i?" asked Rana.

Kate shook her head "just about to take my break, get us a table and i'll get Robert to bring the food out"

She kissed Rana briefly before heading off to the kitchen. Rana looked around and spotted the booth in which the two had sat in all those months ago after their second kiss, discussing their feelings for each other. Or maybe they were arguing now that Rana thought about it. It seemed like a lifetime ago now, so much had changed since.

Rana took off _her_ jacket and settled in the booth, waiting for Kate to return. It still felt a little strange coming to the Bistro. All the secret rendezvous in the back room and the kitchen came to the forefront of her memory and the late date night that had been so rudely interrupted by the robber who had later turned out to be Michelle. Between all that, Kate confessing to Zeedan and watching Kate with Sophie at Luke's wake it was safe to say that a lot had occurred here for both of them. It was an amazing relief not having to sneak around anymore. It felt good being out publicly. 

She felt Kate's hand on her shoulder as she came over to the booth, undoing her apron and tossing it to the edge of her seat.

"i thought you might choose to sit here somehow" Kate smiled.

Rana looked at her and laughed "ironic really isn't it"

Kate raised her eyebrow "just a bit. Hard to believe it was seven months ago. Feels like yesterday"

Robert appeared at the table, a plate in each hand.

"One carbonara and one vegan wrap" he exclaimed, placing the plates down in front of both of them "Erm Kate, i'm assuming you'll be bringing Rana as your plus one to the wedding?" 

Kate looked up at him with a clear expression of both disappointment and annoyance.

"Well there goes the element of surprise. I was just about to ask her. Thank you"

Robert shot a look at Rana who was trying to avoid any interaction in the situation by immediately picking at her food. He bit his bottom lip in embarrassment. 

"Sorry" he mumbled and quickly walked away from the table and back into the kitchen.

Rana looked up at Kate who clearly, was still rather annoyed that Robert had shattered her plan to surprise her girlfriend.

"It's okay Kate. Honestly"

Kate offered an unconvincing smile.

"I'm sorry. I just hate it when that happens. I wanted it to be romantic"

Rana smiled sympathetically at her "babe, it is romantic. Come here!"

Both women smiled as their lips met above the table. Rana cupped Kate's cheek as they mutually pulled off each other.

PDA's were something that remained relatively new for Rana, at first she'd been worried about being stared at & judged but they were now becoming second nature.

"I take it that's a yes?" Kate queried as she took a bite from her wrap.

Rana nodded "I've never been someone's plus one before"

"Another new experience for you" Kate beamed, winking at Rana.

"I'm still surprised Michelle is going ahead with the wedding so soon" Rana said "especially with everything that's still going on"

Kate simply shrugged, indicating that it was probably a sensitive subject so Rana decided to proceed down a different avenue.

"I don't know what to wear. Is there like a dress code?"

Kate laughed "don't worry, i'm sure you can raid my wardrobe. Been to a few gigs and i never like to wear the same outfit twice"

Rana shook her head in mock disbelief, much to Kate's amusement, however her smile faded pretty quickly, which left Rana slightly confused.

"You alright?" she asked, noticing Kate's expression becoming one of sadness and despair.

"My dad..." she began "....he's not coming to the wedding. Michelle spoke to him yesterday and he said he couldn't face it - so there'll be two empty seats on the day. Seats that should be filled"

Rana reached her hand to meet Kate's, interlocking their fingers across the table.

"I know it not what you had hoped for babe...but you can understand why he can't face it though? Its the first event with your family since...well you know. Maybe he just needs more time. I'm sure there'll be another wedding down the line"

Kate smiled at her words, knowing exactly the meaning behind them. There would definitely be another wedding at some point.

"I don't know what i'd do without you, Rana. You're the only thing that keeps me going. I love you for that" Kate confessed.

Rana smiled, a single tear of happiness cascading down her face.

"I love you too, i always will"

 

*******************************************

 

"So let me get this straight" said a confused Rana, who was snuggled on the sofa with her girlfriend, being the little spoon to Kate's big spoon "Jaime and Cersei are literal brother and sister...and Joffrey is their biological son?"

Kate laughed "you think that's bad? Oh Rana, that's barely scratching the surface"

Truth be told, she was paying more attention to stroking Rana's hair than she was to the TV, she'd already seen the show once but Rana had wanted to watch it, after an unexpected recommendation from Imran.

"Ah that's....that's just disgusting" Rana giggled "i'd ask why you and Imran both watch this but i suspect the answer will be exactly the same for both of you"

Kate raised her eyebrow.

"I'd be lying if i said it was anything other than Lena Headey. Have you seen her?"

Rana playfully elbowed her in the ribs, pretending to be offended.

"Ow!" Kate chuckled "you know i'm just kidding. Only got eyes for you, babe"

Rana turned her head to Kate, a cheeky smile working its way onto her face.

"I should think so too" she said, pecking her girlfriend's lips "took me long enough to win your heart Kate Connor"

Kate stroked Rana's face "you had me at I've been thinking about you a lot lately"

"Oh god" Rana said, rolling her eyes in embarrassment "I was absolutely paralytic that night. Still glad i did it though"

Kate was glad she had done it as well. Of course it had come out of nowhere but it had triggered a realization in her that Rana was something more than a friend to her. As Gillian Anderson had once said :

_"the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship"_

That was especially true of Kate's relationship with Rana. It hadn't been a 'chance meeting' or what people called 'fate'. It was simply two friends realizations that both wanted to be with the other.

"Me too....I guess Imogen was right after all" she replied slyly.

Rana's eyes widened at the mention of Imogen's name "....what?"

"You did fancy me after all didn't ya?" Kate laughed.

Rana shook her head in mock disbelief, although offering her best 'pretend to be infuriated' smile.

Of course Kate was right. What maybe, was once a simple crush was now so much more. Now it was love. Perhaps it always had been, deep down.


	8. Don’t Leave Me, Babe.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate seems to be avoiding Rana, leaving her girlfriend without answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Eight. I didn’t expect to get this far. I know this fic started a little wobbly but I think it’s found it’s feet and the feedback from you guys has been superb, particularly the last few chapters. Writing for Kate and Rana has been an absolute pleasure, some chapters will inevitably be better than others, I tend to write these really late at night, insomnia can be great as you can see! I just hope you guys continue to enjoy but please leave constructive criticisms where you feel they’re needed! :)

_”Let_ _the angry word be answered only with a kiss” -_ Thomas Hill

 

Rana stood against the railing outside the medical center, taking in the tranquility of the cool breeze and sounds of tyres grazing the cobbles. 

This morning Kate hadn’t been particularly talkative as they’d both got up and gotten ready for work. It seemed she was becoming more and more distant as Michelle’s big day edged closer, perhaps the thought of her brother not being best man becoming more prominent. 

Checking her phone was proving ineffective. She’d already sent three texts during the morning shift, scoring no reply from any of them. Still Rana wasn’t giving up, proceeding to send a fourth. 

_‘I hope everything’s alright....just let me know you’re ok, you’re worrying me. I love you, R x’_

She felt the presence of someone next to her before she saw them. 

“It can be quite nice out here eh” Liz mused as she sparked up her cigarette. 

Rana looked at her and offered a polite smile. 

Liz’s eyes looked over her, clearly sensing something wasn’t quite fitting. 

“Penny for your thoughts, love?” 

Rana sighed “I’m just worried about Kate....I’m not convinced she’s coping...not really. She barely said a word this morning and now she’s not replying to any of my texts” 

Liz nodded, taking a drag of her cigarette “sometimes that’s just how it is darling, you have to let her deal with her grief in her own way, however long it lasts. Just try and be there for her and not pressure her to talk if she doesn’t want to” 

“I just hate not knowing what to do to make things better for her” Rana admitted “it’s the worst feeling seeing her in pain. Even when she says that she’s okay I can see that she isn’t and I feel useless because I can’t change it” 

Liz offered a reassuring smile “try not to worry love, she’ll get through it. They’re a tight knit family are the Connor’s. Better get back to work before Moira has my guts for garters!” 

Rana quickly tapped Liz’s arm as she turned to head back inside.

“Erm..can you tell Moira I’m taking my break. There’s something I need to do” 

“Course love” she replied softly. 

Rana checked her phone once again but still there was nothing from Kate. She flicked through her contacts until she hit Kate’s name.

_“Hi you’ve reached Kate Connor. Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. If you leave me your name and number, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks bye”_

“Kate it’s me” Rana sighed “please talk to me. I don’t understand what’s going on. Please, please call me”

Something wasn’t right. Kate always answered her calls. 

 

*******************************************

 

Truth be told, all Kate wanted to do was work, serving customers and taking orders. Concentration was the priority. Since Aidan there’d been good days, okay days and bad days. Today was a clear demonstration of the latter.

Rana had tried to talk to her before work this morning but how much attention Kate actually paid was questionable, all she could think about today was work. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by anything or anyone for the sake of keeping it together, knowing that the second she allowed her thoughts to stray, she’d certainly end up breaking down. 

 At that moment, she felt a chill on the back of her neck as her girlfriend entered the restaurant, an expression of concern clear in her face.

“Hey...are you ok?” Rana queried. 

Kate shrugged, not making eye contact “why wouldn’t I be?”

“You didn’t respond to any of my texts and I tried to phone you” 

“Well I do have customers to attend to” Kate snapped, gesturing around the restaurant. 

“Kate....have I done something to upset you?” Rana scoffed “because this isn’t normal, for you” 

Kate looked down at the floor. She didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone and she didn’t want to explode in Rana’s presence. 

“...Just go back to work, Rana” she sighed “we can talk at home” 

Kate didn’t even kiss her goodbye as she walked away to the kitchen, leaving Rana stood in the middle of the crowded restaurant. Yet again, Kate had taken whatever was going on in her head out on her. 

 

*******************************************

 

“So, what happened” Imran asked as Rana sat down opposite him.

She shook her head at his question, not sure she had an actual answer to give. 

“I don’t know she just.....she was just cold with me, she didn’t seem like she wanted to see me” she moaned “...i’m worried she’s changed her mind about being with me” 

Imran looked at her with raised eyebrows. 

“Rana, do you know how daft that sounds? Kate thinks the world of you, trust me” he replied with a smile. 

Imran always seemed to know exactly what to say to reassure her and this was no exception but it didn’t make it any easier to understand why Kate was being so distant with her. Maybe Liz had a point, perhaps it was the grief talking....but why now?

“What do you think I should do?” Rana asked as she took a bite of her sandwich. 

Imran ran his fingers through his beard, trying to work out what to offer in response to his sister’s uncertainty. 

“I’d say just give her time, she’s probably just having a bad day, it’s understandable given everything that’s happened and the whole Alya situation won’t be doing her any favours. She’ll come round when she’s ready, I’m sure of it” 

Rana remained somewhat unconvinced. The memory of Kate’s grief after Luke’s death leading to her running off to Devon playing over in her mind. The thought of Kate leaving her behind for a second time was slightly harder to bear. If her grief for a ‘friend’ who’d made their lives difficult could possess her to do that, it was difficult to comprehend what the grief of losing her brother could do. 

She couldn’t lose Kate. Not again. 

 

*******************************************

 

Rana turned the keys slowly, steadying her breathing as she returned to the flat. She knew that Kate would be home by now and hoped that she would be in a better mood than earlier in the day.

There was silence on the other side of the door, Kate was nowhere to be seen but there was a slight muffle coming from the bedroom, barely audible over the sound of her own breathing. 

Rana slowly walked over and discreetly pushed it ajar, to find Kate curled into a ball and sobbing into a pillow. 

She dropped her bag and coat, lying herself against Kate and began stroking her hair. 

“Talk to me” Rana whispered.

For a moment Kate remained still but slowly turned to face Rana, her face stained with tears and botched mascara. 

“I’m sorry...I....I just can’t” Kate trembled. 

Rana shook her head “can’t what babe, you’re not making any sense” 

Kate took her hand and took a deep breath. 

“This....us....” she sobbed “...I love you Rana....but my head..i...it’s not in the right place right now....I’m sorry”

Rana’s eyes widened at the realisation of what Kate was saying. 

_“No”_

Kate’s eyes shot to Rana’s face as she felt Rana’s grip on her hand tighten, almost to a point that some would be considered dangerous. 

“Listen to me Kate Connor. I am not letting you go okay? I let you go once and it’s the biggest regret of my life, I never want to feel like that again. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through right now but I am staying by your side, alright? I love you and I’m never going to walk away from you and that’s that” 

“But..look what it’s doing to us...me...you deserve better Rana” Kate wept.

“I don’t want better. I want you. There’s no one else”

Kate sighed deeply, her breath faltering with emotion. 

“Most people would have run for the hills....but you haven’t...” 

Rana took Kate’s head in her hands “no and I won’t. If you love someone...when you truly love someone, you love everything about them, flaws and all. I love you way too much to even consider walking away. I’m in this for the long run and I’m here every step of the way. I promise” 

Kate slowly managed a convincing smile and wrapped her arms around Rana, burying her head in her girlfriend’s shoulder. 

“I don’t deserve you, I really don’t” 

Rana pulled back looked at her with her ‘don’t be ridiculous’ expression. 

“If either of us doesn’t deserve the other person then it’s me that doesn’t deserve you. I took long enough to get my priorities in check and choosing you over Zee” she replied “you were so patient with me. Most wouldn’t have been” 

“Some people are worth waiting for” Kate smiled. 

 

*******************************************

 

A day like today was rare. Very rare. She’d almost thrown away the one good thing that remained a part of her life in Rana.

Now here they were, eating pizza, drinking wine and laughing at the TV like the events of the day had been erased. As if everything was completely normal. 

Truth be told, Kate’s emotional episode had knocked Rana for six but she’d managed to handle it. That didn’t necessarily mean the situation was by any means resolved but she wasn’t eating alone, Kate was still there, still by her side. That meant something. 

“I think we did a good job of this place” Kate beamed.

Rana looked up from her Pizza as Kate gestured around the room, which now looked very different as a result of the new colour scheme and wallpaper. 

“I’m glad we won’t have to do that again for a good few years. That was an exhausting weekend” Rana grinned “but worth it. Finally feels like our own place. No more living in Alya’s shadow” 

Kate raised her eyebrow as her smile faded. 

“Wouldn’t be too sure about that, she’s going to find out about the will eventually” 

Kate had a point. At the moment Alya was none the wiser but Rana knew that sooner or later, Imran would have to tell her. He was already pushing his and the Connor’s luck by keeping it to himself. There was no avoiding the will being registered and the deeds being carried out. 

“If she does, when she does...we can fight it remember. Imran’s a really good solicitor. He knows what he’s doing and we both know that Carla will let hell freeze over before she stops fighting” Rana grinned. 

Kate couldn’t help but laugh a little at Rana’s comment about Carla. She was right though, her sister was the ‘tough bitch’ in the family and Kate had witnessed her fury first hand. 

“Good point” Kate chuckled, taking a sip of her wine...”I’m really sorry about before”

Rana looked up from her food and smiled calmly at her girlfriend. 

“It’s normal to grieve Kate, that’s completely normal. I just hope you’ll talk to me from now on. That’s what I’m here for at the end of the day. I can’t help if you don’t talk to me, babe” 

Kate nodded, acknowledging Rana’s words.

“I will” she replied “you promised that you’ll be here for me so I promise that I’ll try and talk about it more. I guess I thought I could handle everything and keep it together. I was wrong” 

Rana smiled “good. It won’t be easy but you’ve got your family and you’ve got me”

“You are my family, Rana” 

Maybe things would get better now... _maybe_. 


	9. For The Girl Who Has Nothing To Lose, Everything To Gain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate reflects on the events of Michelle’s wedding and there’s a somewhat unexpected development in the aftermath of Aidan’s death. Told entirely from her first person perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite a weird read, i’ll just warn you of that now but I assure you, there’s a purpose behind it which will become clear in the next chapter or two. I’m trying to move the plot on relatively quickly but retaining the basic premise stated all the way back in chapter one. I finally have a clear picture of where I want to end this story but there’s still about half a dozen chapters worth of story for me to tell. This particular chapter is in line with the upcoming Imran & Alya storyline and apologies if I seem to be a little passive aggressive towards the end. I’m still mad that Bhav & Faye didn’t win Best Partnership at the BSA’s.

” _Trust_ _takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair” -_ Unknown

 

 Around me...there’s panic. I can’t quite believe my eyes. In less than a minute we’ve gone from a happy wedding, walking Michelle down the aisle towards her groom to being held at gunpoint by a multiple murderer we all thought was dead. The same man who killed my friend, Luke. Nicola...my god she’s covered in her own blood, she’s been shot I think. He did it. Phelan.

Rana’s already on her knees, with Ali. They’re trying to help her, trying to contain the bleeding. Phelan’s shouting and waving the gun about but I don’t know what he’s saying. There’s just one thought running through my mind now. _Rana_. I’m terrified. Phelan keeps pointing the gun at her, at Ali and then back at all of us. He won’t stop. 

Rana occasionally manages to avert her gaze to me. I can see in her eyes that she’s as petrified as I am. Her hands are covered in red. Somehow I’m both proud and scared in the same moment. I’m proud because my girlfriend is potentially saving someone’s life and I’m terrified that she could be the next person to get shot. 

and then there’s a voice. It’s distant....it’s Rana’s..I can hear Rana’s voice but I’m looking down and she’s not talking. Ali’s giving her an instruction. The voice is getting louder and louder.

_“Kate! Kate! WAKE UP, KATE!”_

Suddenly the Bistro is gone, there’s no Phelan, no blood and no wedding gone horribly wrong. Instead there’s four Dark Purple walls, the sound of the rain battering the cobbles outside and Rana by my side. 

“Hey....” Rana rasps, I think I’ve probably woken her up “It happened again didn’t it?” 

I’m nodding at her. I’ve been having these nightmares near enough every night. As if I haven’t been through enough recently, It’s like some omnipotent force has a grudge on me and my family. I lose my best friend, I almost lose my sister, then I nearly lost Rana....it’s like the cycle had no end point. Now I’ve lost my brother and Michelle gets shot by the same man who killed my best friend. 

“I’m sorry that I woke you” I manage, my heart must be doing twenty to the dozen right now. 

Rana shakes her head and wraps her arms around me, that feeling of safety returning slowly. I can feel my head resting in the crook of her shoulder as she strokes my hair. 

“I’ve got you, Kate...I’ve got you. You’re safe now I promise” she says softly into my ear. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s the only thing grounding me to reality right now. 

“You were amazing, saving Nicola like that” I say, trying to force some kind of smile. 

Rana takes my hand, interlocking her fingers with my own. 

“It was scary, being at gunpoint but I just tried to concentrate on what Ali was saying and the thought of being back here with you” 

I shuffle myself slightly so I’m facing her, eyes heavy with the weight of the world. 

“When he pointed the gun at you....I was so scared I was going to lose you too.....I don’t want to be scared like that ever again”

“Hey” Rana says, cupping my cheek “you’re never going to lose me. I made you a promise and I’ll be damned if anything is going to tear us apart” 

Her lips meet my own. It’s as if for a second everything outside of that becomes null and ceases to register. It’s just me, her and the moment. I can sense her crying, my own eyes are wet with emotion. I’ve never known this kind of love before. I want to hold on to it for dear life, never letting go.

 

*******************************************

 

Rana’s arm is draped over me as I begin to stir, strands of her hair partially covering my face. I’ll never understanding the sense of content that it gives, but I don’t question it. I won’t because I don’t need to understand. The only thing I know and understand is that without Rana, I’m like a jigsaw puzzle and she is that very last piece to complete the picture that is my life.

I begin to shuffle out of bed in an attempt to avoid waking her, she looks so peaceful and it’d be a shame to disrupt that. With the way things are with my nightmares, she could use the extra sleep and today she has another day off. 

As I manage to sneak into the lounge, I’m immediately greeted with a surprise in the form of Alya, which almost gives me a heart attack. 

“Jesus!” I find myself scoffing but managing to keep my voice low “what the hell are you doing here?”

Alya raises her eyebrows but I can sense that it’s not in arrogance or in fact a negative manner at all. 

“I wanted to check if you were okay...you and Rana. I heard what happened in the Bistro. Apparently Rana was a real hero” she mused, offering something of a smile. 

For once, I’m actually in agreement with her. 

“She was brave....nurse in shining armour that one” 

It’s nice that Alya is trying to be civil, it’s just a shame that it took something like this for it to happen. 

“Do you want some breakfast?” she offers. 

It takes me a minute to actually register the question, i certainly didn’t expect an offer of my ex-flatmate cooking for me. I nod anyway, not passing up the opportunity of breakfast being done by somebody else. 

“You’d have thought Pat would’ve been a bit nicer to you, not exactly a bad tenant are you?” Alya chuckles as she searches the fridge. 

I mean....it’s dark and not exactly appropriate and yet I find myself laughing. At least Alya has her sense of humour going for her, surprising given that Phelan murdered her boyfriend but that’s life for you I suppose. 

“What’s the joke?” Rana yawns as she walks into the lounge, dressed only in her underwear and a baggy t-shirt “.....Alya”

Rana casts a worried look at me, she’s probably wondering what the hell is going on. 

“Hi Rana...” Alya says awkwardly “I’m doing Kate some breakfast, you hungry?” 

I try offering a smile and a reassuring nod in response to her confusion with Alya’s presence. 

“Erm..sure...thanks!” she responds politely.

It’s an awkward situation to be in, given the recent tension between us and her but maybe it’s a step in the right direction. I’m sick of all the childishness and I know that Rana has had enough of it too. 

“Hey Rana...” Alya asks, briefly turning to face us “Imran’s said he wants to talk to me later on, I don’t suppose you know what about” 

Rana’s eyes meet mine, I think we both know exactly what it is that she’s talking about, which makes an already awkward situation significantly more so. 

“Not a clue....you’ll have to ask him” Rana lies. 

I can see that Rana is angry now, but surprisingly it’s not at Alya, it’s at her own brother. 

 

*******************************************

 

You’d think it would be me pacing the room, trying to make sense of it but it’s not. It’s Rana doing the pacing. It’s her that’s confused. I’m disappointed by Imran but somehow, I’m not overly surprised either.

I knew there was something that didn’t quite fit with him and he wasn’t exactly subtle about his attraction to Alya. If anything, he was completely the opposite of subtle. He might as well wear a sign declaring that he fancies the pants off Alya. 

“Why would he tell her in advance to the will being registered though? Is that even technically legal?” Rana retorts. 

I don’t have an answer so I merely shrug in response. I don’t know anything about law. Quite honestly I’m trying to imagine how my dad is going to react when he inevitably finds out that Imran has essentially sold us out. 

“Do you think I should try and talk to him?” Rana asks, definitely wanting an answer or an opinion this time. 

“I suppose, it can’t do any harm really” is all I can offer in response. I feel like I should care more about the whole thing but after everything that’s happened recently, I don’t think I can really comprehend this yet. It’ll probably hit me properly in a couple of days. 

Rana nods in agreement “I’ll go and see him, try and talk him round” as she grabs her coat off the stand “I’ll meet you at the Bistro for dinner?” 

“Mmhm” 

She reaches down and our lips meet quickly before she rushes out of the door. Part of me hopes there’ll be good news over dinner but I feel like this is only the beginning of it all. My instincts are telling me that it’ll only get worse. Haven’t me and my family been through just about enough?

 

*******************************************

 

It’s a surprisingly quiet evening at work, there’s not many customers in tonight, makes my shift a little easier I suppose. Daniel seems to think that I want to hear about how Flora is making his life a misery, I’m not really listening though. It’s just noise that is distracting.

Rana text about five minutes ago to say she was on her way here, she should be coming through those doors any minute now unless she’s been held up for whatever reason. She sometimes runs into Sean who and I quote 

_“Can talk for England”_

Robert’s busy in the kitchen as Michelle returns from the back room of the restaurant. She immediately notices me, sitting at the bar, almost like I’m a paying customer and not a waitress. 

“Flippin heck, you sure you work here Kate?” she says sarcastically. 

I’m rolling my eyes at her sarcasm “it’s dead in here, not very often that I get to have a chilled shift like this!” 

“True” Michelle replies “how’re you and Rana doing after last week?” 

That’s the thing about Michelle, she always cares about other people, even when she’s the one that gets hurt. That’s what I love about her. But I don’t want to tell her about the nightmares, last thing she needs on top of everything that’s about to come to light is to be worried about me. 

“Yeah...erm fine” 

Hopefully my facade of happiness is convincing enough. 

There’s a rush of cold air that sends a shiver across my body as Rana enters the Bistro. You wouldn’t think it was summer at all, good old English weather for you. It’s absolutely freezing. 

“Hiya love” Michelle beams as she greets Rana, but her expression changes as Rana responds with a quick smile.

I think I already know it’s not good news from Rana’s face. There’s dread in her eyes. 

“Everything alright, Rana?” Michelle interjects.

“It’s worse than we thought” Rana sighs as she sits down next to me. 

I figured as much and yet, I still find myself somewhat surprised. 

“What is it?” I end up groaning. 

Rana looks to me and then to Michelle “well I should say that both of you aren’t going to like this....Imran’s convinced himself that not only does Alya deserve to know about the will, but he’s going to represent her if you want to challenge it in court. He’s done a complete one eighty on us. I tried to make him see sense but he’s got it into his head that it’s the right thing to do”

_Well at least it can’t get any worse now, right?_

 

 

 

 

 

 


	10. Bonds, Forever Broken (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Aidan’s funeral presents fresh challenges for Rana and the Connor clan and the battle for Underworld begins as Imran and Alya make their first steps towards securing the business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’ll notice there’s a (I) in the chapter title. Originally it was going to be one huge chapter but after writing the first section, I realised it needed to be separated into two for it to really work and I didn’t want to overshadow either of the events which take place. Part II will start just shortly before the end of the opening part, concurrently running alongside the ending. I struggled with this and took a few liberties here and there so apologies if it seems a little unrealistic.

_“Life and Death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides” -_ Lao Tzu

 

Quiet. That was the only word to describe the atmosphere on the street as the funeral procession made its way to the cemetery. Aidan’s final journey was beginning in earnest on what had presented itself to be a particularly sunny day in Weatherfield.

A hearse traditionally led the procession, decorated with a flower display on either side reading ‘Brother’ and ‘Beloved Son’ courtesy of the women at Preston’s Petals. The Connor’s followed behind in two cars. The first carrying Kate, Rana, Ali, Maria and Johnny. The second carrying Michelle, Carla, Jenny, Ryan and Robert. Everyone else would make their own way. 

A day like this was difficult even under the most mundane, ordinary circumstances but it was made all the more stressful with the knowledge that the funeral wouldn’t provide the closure they all so desperately were searching for. If anything, this was only the start because now they faced the prospect of losing the last part of Aidan to Alya and Imran. 

Kate sat, staring out of the window of the car as the houses and buildings passed by in a blur. The only thing keeping the tears back was the sensation of Rana’s thumb gliding over the back of her hand. A small but surprisingly effective distraction from the whirlwind of emotions playing through her mind. 

“Nice...nice day like...not raining” Ali tried.

Johnny offered a weak smile in response. 

It was inevitable that there’d be a lot of those today.  

 

*******************************************

 

Despite the tranquility of it being a reasonably warm summer’s day, the feeling of loss, sadness and despondency loomed over them as they arrived at the cemetery. The same cemetery that they’d been at only five months ago for Luke’s funeral. Now here they were again, saying more goodbyes and laying another person they loved to rest. 

“Ready?” Rana asked softly as she reached for the door handle. 

Kate took a deep breath and nodded before following Rana out of the car as the rest of her family followed suit from both vehicles. Despite the fact that this was significantly more personal for Kate, it was also a lot easier this time around. Easier because she wasn’t alone now. Now she had Rana to lean on both literally and metaphorically. To say she’d been a godsend would be an understatement, without Rana she’d have almost certainly succumbed to grief and lost all sense of moral direction. 

As The Connor’s approached the church, more of the local residents appeared, dressed all in black in keeping with the traditions of a funeral. Johnny had insisted that they keep it very formal and ‘to the book’. Already there were people who’s faces were stained with tears, contemplating that this would be their final goodbye to a man that was a friend, a colleague and in some cases, an ex boyfriend. He’d certainly been loved and respected by many in the life that was cut so tragically short. 

Ryan, Ali, Robert and Steve were the appointed pallbearers with Johnny, at his request but there was sixth space which would be filled by Kate. She’d already made it clear to Johnny that she wanted to help carry the coffin inside, believing it’s what Aidan would’ve wanted. Of course no one really knew but it felt right for her regardless. 

“I guess I’ll see you inside” Rana sighed, quickly planting a kiss on her girlfriend’s lips. 

“Yeah..” Kate replied as she tried to keep her bottom from betraying her. 

“I’m really proud of you, babe. I’ll see you in a minute” 

Kate smiled as her girlfriend turned to head inside. She took her position at the front of the coffin on the opposite side of Johnny. It was time to take her brother into the church. 

 

*******************************************

 

The mourners watched on as Johnny delivered a heartfelt speech about Aidan, his childhood years and some of the funny things about him that even his closest friends had never known.

“....I remember when he was in high school, he was seeing this bird...at the time he was doing his GCSE’s and the young lady was a sixth former. Always pulling the older ladies was our Aidan....his mates would always ask him for advice on women and he’d always say it’s the ‘Connor Charm’....well I don’t know about that. We aren’t exactly known for being lucky in love for the most part but I’d like to think our Aidan might’ve eventually settled down if he were still here”

With that, Johnny stepped down and approached the coffin, his eyes filling with tears. 

“I love you kiddo. Sleep tight” 

He sat down with Jenny, sobbing as she tried to comfort him.

“And now, Kate Connor, Aidan’s brother would like to read his favourite poem as a tribute to the life of her brother” called the vicar. 

Kate looked to Rana as all eyes turned to her. Rana squeezed her girlfriend’s hand and nodded in reassurance as Kate rose from the pew. She composed herself as she reached the altar, taking a couple of deep breaths before beginning to read the poem. 

_“So fleeting is this thing called life, we journey toward its end,_

_experiencing pieces of a puzzle we don't truly comprehend._

_The hues of our emotion paint a picture of our past,_

_as we hurtle toward a destiny that is not meant to last._

_Youth a canvas all in white, not knowing what awaits,_

_feel caresses of a brush that which we know as fate._

_Love so very true in reds, that beat within our heart,_

_shadows black take form as hate, which tears the soul apart._

_Greens of joy and happiness, lush grass beyond compare,_

_sadness, shrouded depths of blue, the waters of despair._

 

_Yellow screams of agony and pain which we endure._

_Guilt and shame are shades of grey, a torrential downpour._

_Earthy brown desires are that for which we lust,_

_the loss of which comes with age, like chrome begins to rust._

_The image changing constantly as time plods slowly on,_

_taking shape in many forms, as the twilight replaces dawn._

_We look into a mirror for the answers which we seek,_

_but we find no consolation as our eyes grow dim and weak._

_The final touches on a painting created with much love,_

_as we realize that the destination is the gallery above...”_

Kate looked down at Rana who smiled proudly up at her, mouthing the words “I love you”. She’d never been more grateful for Rana’s presence than she was in that moment as she looked out to the people that had worked with Aidan, laughed with Aidan, talked with Aidan....shared some kind of bond with Aidan. Everyone had known her brother in some form and each and every one of them had been a part of his life, however small. Aidan had touched so many lives that it was difficult to comprehend how he’d gotten to a point where he’d taken his own with those facts in mind. 

Kate slowly stepped down from the altar, tears flooding her face as she paused at the coffin. 

“You’ll always be with me....rest easy” she wept, turning away from the coffin and holding onto the church pew to keep her rapid loss of balance as the extent of her emotions rose to the surface.

Rana immediately got up from her seat and rushed over to Kate, placing both arms around her and holding her tightly while Kate cried into her shoulder.

“I’ve got you sweetheart....I’ve got you” Rana whispered “you did him proud babe”

She stroked Kate’s hair and continued to whisper reassuring words whilst various people shared their memories of Aidan as music played subtly in the background. Safe to say that everyone had something to share, laughs, tears....times spent together.

 

*******************************************

 

The wake was being held at the Bistro, expenses covered by Michelle and Robert as a family gesture. The last thing Johnny needed was the stress of forking out for bottles of fizz & nibbles after burying his son.

Most of those who had been at the burial had also arrived for the wake but a few had left early to travel back, something about rush hour traffic and a long drive.

Rana and Kate sat away from the rest of the mourners, wanting only to be with each other in their own little bubble. Kate clutched tightly with one hand on her wine, the other on Rana’s hand on the opposite side of the table.

“Thank you for being there for me today” said Kate, looking hopefully at Rana “I couldn’t have got through it without you, Rana”

Rana smiled, stroking Kate’s hand with her thumb.

“I’m just glad I could be here for you this time” she admitted, thinking back to January “I still hate that I was so caught up in my own selfishness that I didn’t choose you sooner. I should’ve been the one to take care of you when Luke died”

Kate shook her head, dismissing Rana’s guilt.

“Rana, babe. Stop it. We were both in a difficult situation but it’s the past and we can’t change it. There’s no point crying out spilled milk. We found each other in the end, that’s all that matters. Besides, I wasn’t exactly making things easy by trying to pressure you into choosing me over Zee and then outing you without thinking of the consequences”

Rana smiled, Kate was probably more forgiving and understanding than she would be. As much as Kate outing her against her will  had caused significant damage in her relationship with her friends and family, it’d eventually lead to them being together as a proper out and happy couple. That cloud had presented a silver lining.

“Would change any of it” Rana chuckled.

“I’m glad” Kate smiled “I just hope this stuff with Imran and Alya won’t change anything between us. He’s your brother after all”

Rana sighed, rolling her eyes at the prospect of being caught between the woman she loved and the one person left in her family that wanted to know her.

“Yeah....I know”

Little did either of them know that the conflict had already begun and they were about to find themselves at the epicentre of it.


	11. Bonds, Forever Broken (II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Aidan’s funeral presents fresh challenges for Rana and the Connor clan and the battle for Underworld begins as Imran and Alya make their first steps towards securing the business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As stated in the previous installment, this is basically the part two (II) that continues on from the end of part one hence this installment sharing the same name but with the added numeral. Focus will be back heavily on Kate and Rana in the next few chapters that all being well will bring this story to its conclusion so I can get to work on some creative/potential future SL bits and bobs as well as branch out to write some other fics for other shows that I watch religiously. I know it can get boring when Kate and Rana get sidelined, it’s bad enough on TV, I can only imagine how boring it must be in a fanfic! Also just want to say a huge, huge thank you for over 100 kudos, that’s honestly insane guys. I hope you’ll continue to enjoy this story! Chapter 12 is going to be really fun, I think you’ll really like what happens next!

_“An obstacle is often a stepping stone” -_ Prescott

 

Cold seemed to descend upon the cobbles as Imran and Alya approached the factory. Imran had his three quarter length jacket fully buttoned with the collar and lapels pulled up, giving a little extra warmth to his neck. 

Only a hundred or so yards away, residents of the street were gathered in Viaduct Bistro to pay their respects to Aidan. In a way it didn’t seem right to be doing this today but it was probably the only chance they’d have to get it done without things kicking off. 

“How far away is this locksmith?” Imran asked apprehensively, his gaze continually turning towards the Bistro. 

Alya looked at her phone.

“About two minutes” she replied. 

Imran nodded, praying that they could get this done and get away before the Connor’s or his sister left the wake. They hadn’t attended the funeral as Alya had been told to stay away and Imran hadn’t wanted to attend given the circumstances with Underworld. 

“Are you sure we should really be doing this today? Doesn’t seem right really” Imran suggested. 

“Look” Alya sighed, rolling her eyes “I don’t like the idea of this anymore than you do but if it doesn’t get done, how am I supposed to take charge? You said it yourself, they don’t want me getting a single bit of this place” 

Imran didn’t have the opportunity to reason with her as they were interrupted by the arrival of the locksmith. 

“Alright!” the man beamed “just the main door is it?” 

Alya nodded “erm yeah. Look can we try and get this done quickly, in a bit of a rush to be honest” 

“No problem, shouldn’t take too long” the man replied with a reassuring wink. 

Out of the corner of his eye however, Imran could already see familiar faces appearing outside the Bistro. 

 

*******************************************

 

Kate had probably had gone a little overboard with the Dutch courage, barely able to maintain her balance without holding onto Rana for dear life.

“Come on you” Rana giggled “I think you need a strong cup of coffee and a lie down”

Michelle had noticed her stumbling towards the door with Rana and recommended she take Kate home, reassuring her that she’d let Johnny know they’d headed off. 

“What would I do without you eh” Kate slurred in her alcohol induced state “taking me home you’re a top girlfriend you y’know” 

Rana couldn’t help but laugh. Kate was a very comical drunk and always got soppy when she’d had a few too many. 

“Rana, Kate! Hang on a sec!” called Johnny from behind them, panting as he caught up with them. 

Rana stopped, turning to face Johnny and still maintaining the contact with Kate to stop her from injuring herself. 

“What’s up?” Kate managed. 

Johnny smiled “I just wanted to make sure you knew how proud I was of you today, love. You did right by Aidan....” 

Johnny had suddenly trailed off, his attention suddenly pulled away from his daughter and Rana. 

“Dad?”

“What...the hell?...” Johnny sighed as he saw the _‘Hudson & Barnett Locksmiths’_ van parked outside the factory. 

Kate and Rana turned to see what he was looking at and immediately noticed that the locksmith was not alone. Alya and Imran were there too. 

“Call Carla!” he growled as he headed towards them at some speed. 

Rana immediately pulled her phone from her jacket breast pocket, Michelle and Carla had given her their respective numbers for just such an opportunity as Kate being too intoxicated to call when either was needed. 

“Carla? Yeah hi...listen you really need to come to Underworld right now, Michelle too....I think Alya’s about to get the locks changed...yeah? Okay see you in a sec” 

She hung up and shoved her phone back into her pocket as she and Kate proceeded to follow Johnny towards her brother and Alya. 

“What the flamin’ hell do you think you’re doing?!” Johnny barked as Imran and Alya noticed him heading towards them. 

Alya smiled falsely “just taking possession of what is rightfully mine” 

Kate let herself off Rana to face Alya. 

“My brother is barely in the ground you selfish bitch and you already want to take the last part of him we have left on the same day?” 

“Show some grace Alya for godsake” Johnny scoffed “give us time to at least move on, please” 

At this point Imran stepped forward, much to Rana’s disgust. How could he live with himself, doing this on the very day that Kate had just buried her brother. 

“Look I’m sorry about Aidan” he said softly “but now that the funeral has taken place, she has every right to inherit the factory and we figured it’d be easier all around if we were to do this when you weren’t around” 

“Oh what?....” Johnny began, glaring at both of them “so you thought it was appropriate to do it whilst we were putting him in the ground did you?!”

“So erm” the locksmith interjected “do you want me to change the lock or not?” 

Nobody spoke for a minute, the silence deafening them as the locksmith waited for an answer from somebody. Imran looked to Johnny, Kate and to his sister, all of whom were suitably angry faced. Alya took a deep breath and rolled her eyes at what she was about to say. 

“No. Not today” she replied “sorry to have wasted your time” 

Johnny shook his head in disgust and turned to walk away with Kate. Rana shot a glance at her brother who was determined not to meet her gaze by looking at the floor. 

“Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves” she spat and followed quickly after Kate. 

Behind her, Rana could see that Carla and Michelle had gone over and began shouting at her brother and Alya. As much as she loved Imran, he deserved everything that the Connor women would throw at him for betraying the trust and kindness they’d shown him. Rana’s disappointment had never been as strong as it was at him for choosing to help the woman who’d made their lives a misery for months. 

 

*******************************************

 

Rana once again found herself making tea as Kate sat, staring into space. Rana could hardly blame her given what had been about to happen as they’d come away from the wake.

“Penny for them?” Rana said softly as she handed Kate her mug. 

Kate looked up at her and almost wanted to laugh as she took hold of her tea. 

“I just can’t believe I didn’t see something like this coming. I should’ve known she’d pull a stunt like that”

“Babe...” Rana sighed “I don’t think anybody would’ve expected her to do what she did this soon, on today of all days”

Rana was probably right, even Kate had to admit that she had believed that Alya  would’ve had a little more respect for her and her family but today had proven exactly the opposite. 

“What about Imran?” Kate cautioned as Rana sat down next to her. 

Rana shook her head, she had no idea where to even begin with her brother’s stupidity. 

“I don’t know what to think” she admitted “but whatever happens, I don’t agree with what he’s doing. I’m a hundred percent on your side” 

Kate smiled at her girlfriend’s words.

It didn’t seem fair that once again, another member of her family had chosen a Nazir over Rana. First her husband had essentially sold her to fund Speed Daal, the dream business that he’d quickly left behind to save his own skin and now her brother was about to help Alya try and take the last piece of Aidan that the Connor’s had left with Underworld. 

“What did I ever do to deserve you eh?” Kate laughed. 

Rana grinned as she shuffled up to Kate, leaning her head on the younger woman’s shoulder. 

“Whatever you did, you took your time doing it” she giggled. 

Kate playfully slapped Rana’s hand, shaking her head in mock annoyance. 

“You’re never going to let me live that down are you?” 

Rana looked lovingly up at her and smiled.

“It’s true though” she replied jokingly.

Kate raised her eyebrow, Rana had a point in fairness. She’d gone through a period of weeks avoiding Rana after their first kiss, run off to Devon after the funeral and then gone on the rebound with Sophie after their affair had been exposed, leaving Rana to deal with the fallout with her parents and Zeedan. 

“I know” Kate sighed “If I could go back, do things differently I really would do y’know” 

“Don’t be daft” Rana replied, planting a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek. 

Before the conversation could continue, Rana noticed her phone vibrating on the table, someone wanted her attention. 

 _‘Incoming call : Imran Habeeb’_  

“You should answer it, babe” Kate encouraged. 

Rana huffed as she put the phone to her ear. 

“What do you want Imran?”

 _“Rana, can we talk? Please?”_  

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about, you’ve made your position pretty clear” 

_“Look I think maybe there’s a way to resolve all of this amicably, if you, Kate and the Connor’s will hear us out”_

Rana breathed deeply as she pulled the phone away from her ear and turned to Kate. 

“They want to meet with all of us, thinks he might have a solution to this factory stuff” 

Kate shrugged, it wasn’t technically anything to do with her but if it was going to put this whole sorry situation to bed, maybe it was worth it. She nodded at Rana to give the go ahead. 

“Fine” Rana groaned, putting the phone back to her ear “when and where?”

_“Tomorrow afternoon, we can meet at Roy’s”_

“We’ll be there” Rana confirmed and quickly hung up.

 

*******************************************

 

Kate and Rana slowly walked across Victoria Street to Roy’s. Michelle had already text to say that her and the rest of the Connor’s were there waiting for them.

“Weird isn’t it?” Kate said out of the blue. 

Rana shifted her gaze “What’s that?” 

Kate pointed at Speed Daal, which appeared to be all locked up, no signs of being in business. 

“That’s weird....” she noted.

In all truth, Rana was somewhat distracted. 

This so called ‘meeting’ bought back the memory of when her and Zeedan had met her parents in the cafe and agreed to a marriage of convenience contract, staying publicly married & keeping quiet about her forbidden relationship with Kate in exchange for money in the interest of her father protecting their pride and reputation among the Muslim community.It was a memory that Rana wished she could erase.

The cafe was reasonably quiet as they crossed the threshold, an unusual atmosphere for Roy’s. 

Kate immediately spotted Michelle and the rest of her family and headed to sit with them as Rana sorted out coffees for everyone. 

“Family gathering?” joked Shona from behind the counter, gesturing towards Kate and the Connor’s. 

Rana looked towards them, clearly they were already deep in conversation despite the fact that Alya and her brother were yet to arrive. 

“Something like that” Rana sighed as she took hold of the drinks “thanks Shona” 

She passed Kate her coffee as she sat down, taking in what was being said as they waited for the arrival of the other party. 

“Rana” Johnny began “I hope this whole situation doesn’t put you in an awkward position. I know you don’t have the highest opinion of Alya, rightfully so but Imran is still your brother after all” 

Rana dismissed Johnny’s concern with a shake of her head. 

“He is my brother but I don’t agree with what he’s doing at all. I said to Kate yesterday that I’m on your side with this completely. Hopefully whatever him and Alya have come up with can work for both you guys and her” 

Johnny smiled confidently at her “I appreciate that love, means a lot to have your support given the circumstances” 

Rana winked as she took a sip of her coffee and felt Kate’s hand touch her own. 

A wave of cold fell over them as Imran and Alya sauntered over the threshold of the cafe. Imran was carrying a briefcase and Alya carried some kind of folder. The business look. 

“Latte please Shona” Imran called over the counter as Alya took a seat at the adjoining table. 

After a couple of minutes Imran joined Alya and the Connor party, including Rana and set his briefcase down on the seat to his right. 

Alya was the first to speak, breaking the tense silence that had set in whilst waiting for Imran to join them. 

“Let me start by apologising for yesterday. I thought I was doing what was best but I didn’t think it through properly”

“You can say that again” Johnny muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes. 

Carla huffed, wanting to get straight to the point. 

“So, what’s your proposal hmm?” 

Alya looked to Imran and nodded. Imran placed his briefcase on the table and pulled open the clasps, releasing the lid. He pulled out some kind of document and passed it to Carla. 

“Aidan’s initial eighteen percent ownership share” he confirmed as Carla’s eyes scanned the document. 

Carla sighed, passing the document to him to read through. 

“Eighteen percent is a generous offer considering I could go for full ownership if I wanted to” Alya smirked. 

Carla had heard enough and decided to put Alya straight. 

“Do you really think we’re going to even give you that? Really Alya? After everything you’ve put Kate and Rana through, what happened yesterday and the way you treated Aidan before he died, you still really think we’re going to let you have a share of Underworld at all? You won’t get a smidge” she scoffed. 

Alya raised her eyebrow “well then I guess I’ll see you in court, I’ll take no pleasure in gaining complete control of the factory but there you go. Just the way it is”

“Good luck with that” Johnny retorted, gesturing between Kate, Rana, her and Imran “given the obvious conflict of interest here” 

Alya sniggered as she got up from her seat and left the cafe. Imran followed slowly behind, casting a look at his sister and Kate. He’d realised that Johnny might actually have a case with the conflict of interest argument and on top of that, they had the argument that Aidan wasn’t of sound mind at the time of writing the will. 

Alya’s chances of getting what she wanted suddenly seemed very slim indeed. 


	12. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate and Rana go on their first date since Aidan’s death but will they wish they hadn’t when the unthinkable happens?.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we’re coming slowly towards the end now. Chapter 12. I plan to end this story with chapter 15 and over the course of the next three chapters, i’ll wrap up the plot points established earlier on in the story. I have a very clear idea what I want to do with each chapter and i’ll certainly be taking my time with each, working around real life stuff but hopefully I won’t leave it too long for you guys. I’ve got plenty of material to work with during this Kana absence on TV so new additions will be somewhat regular hopefully! Please feel free to leave comments, constructive criticisms etc. If I can improve, I’d like to!

_“Rana Habeeb, twenty eight years old. Hit by a car on coronation street, possible head trauma GCS 8, BP 97 over 80”_

_“Right can we get a head CT and a chest x-ray just so we can rule out any damage there”_  

 

Three Hours Earlier

 Kate sat on the edge of the bed, admiring the view. The viewing being that of Rana applying her makeup for the evening ahead. Kate couldn’t help but stare, Rana looked absolutely stunning in that red lace dress. The same dress that Rana had worn the night that she’d gotten drunk with Imogen and Rana had told her to “do one”. 

“Are you checking out my ass again, Kate Connor?” Rana queried sarcastically as she continued to meddle with her appearance.

Kate laughed “nope, what gave you that idea?”

Rana raised her eyebrow in the mirror, much to Kate’s amusement.

“You excel at many things sweetheart but lying isn’t one of them”

Kate playfully slapped her girlfriend’s posterior.

“Ow!” Rana squealed “I’ll get you back for that  you cheeky sod”

She capped her lipstick, putting it down on the dressing table and turned to face Kate, who was clearly still admiring the view.

“How do I look?” Rana asked, seeming as if she was genuinely concerned. Date night was clearly stressing her out a bit.

Kate slowly rose from the bed and took Rana’s hands on her own.

“You look....stunning” she smiled, stealing a kiss from Rana.

Kate was distracted as she felt her phone buzzing in her jacket pocket. The screen lit up revealing the source of the buzzing.

_‘Steve McDonald : Come on get a wriggle on already got another customer wanting a cab’_

“Come on Rana, Steve’s outside waiting” Kate cautioned as she picked up her bag and keys. Rana rushed to grab her phone and handbag before taking Kate’s hand and making their way out of the flat.

 

*******************************************

 

Two hours earlier 

The concept of Date Night wasn’t really something that Rana was overly familiar with yet. Zeedan had never been much of a romantic during their brief marriage, in fact trying to get any sort of romance out of him was as useless as trying to pry blood from a stone.

Kate was just the opposite, spoiling Rana at every possible interval. Usually it was just a case of Pizza, booze & telly but tonight Kate wanted to do things properly, whether as a distraction from the whole Alya & Underworld situation or simply a way of moving forward, Rana didn’t care. If Kate was happy, that’s what counted.

The pair came to a halt as they reached the destination for their date night. It was an Italian restaurant called _Bella Italia_ , a discreet and dimly lit little place on the edge of town.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been here before” Rana remarked as they slowly passed over the threshold.

Kate smiled “I came here once with Dad and Aidan, donkeys years ago. It’s changed quite a bit by the looks of things”

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the waitress, greeting them as they closed the door behind them.

“Hi, table for two is it?” the waitress beamed.

Kate nodded as they proceeded to follow the waitress to a quiet little table in the corner of the restaurant.

“Okay I’ll give you ladies some privacy to pick what you’d like to eat, can I get you some drinks to start you off?”

Rana looked to Kate, who was examining the alcohol choices.

“Just a bottle of red I think” Kate confirmed.

The waitress scrawled the choice onto her notepad and shot a smile at the women before disappearing off to the other side of the restaurant.

“How are you doing?” Rana asked sincerely, noticing Kate’s gaze wandering the room. Her girlfriend’s eyes settled back on her as she spoke.

Kate sighed, giving a not so assuring smile.

“Getting there” she nodded “everyday is a little easier now the funeral is over and done with....it’ll never be the same but I know that as long as I’ve got you, my dad and Carla that eventually things will get back to a point of normality”

Rana and Kate’s hands met in the middle of the table.

“I love you” Rana smiled.

Kate squeezed Rana’s hand and and reached in for a tender kiss.

“I love you too, princess” she replied as she pulled away, noticing the waitress coming back to the table with two wine glasses and a bottle.

The waitress seemed to notice their hands still interlocked on the table and smiled at the pair of them as she placed the glasses down and removed the cork from the wine bottle.

“Romantic date?” the waitress mused.

Rana looked nervously at Kate and then at the waitress. The waitress smiled, picking up on Rana’s concern at the comment.

“Sorry none of my business. Just I was going to say it’s nice to see another gay couple enjoying a date here. I’m always trying to get my girlfriend to have date night here but she seems to prefer a late night movie” she laughed.

Kate smiled softly at the waitress and picked up two menu’s, trying to distract from the conversation. She passed one to Rana as the waitress took out her notepad again.

“Erm” Kate hummed as she examined the options available “I think......I’ll have the..... _Fettuccine Alfredo_ ”

The waitress scrawled into her notepad once again.

“And for you, miss?” she directed at Rana.

Rana looked up as she closed her menu.

“I’ll have the Carbonara”

The waitress scribbled it down and closed her notepad. She collected the menus and vanished into the kitchen, leaving the women alone once again.

“Carbonara? Bit boring isn’t it?” Kate mused.

Rana shrugged “Its my favourite dish”

Kate smiled. She was very much aware of Rana’s love of carbonara, it was a meal they’d both cooked together on many an occasion after Rana had first moved in with her.

“I just thought you might’ve branched out I guess” Kate said with a smirk.

Rana merely rolled her eyes at Kate’s suggestion. If Carbonara was on the menu, she was ordering it.

 

*******************************************

 

60 minutes earlier

 “Do you maybe want to catch a movie or something?” Rana asked, noting the time on her phone being somewhat early in the evening as they left the restaurant.

She could tell from her girlfriend’s facial expression that the idea didn’t seem overly appealing.

“I don’t really fancy it....drinks at the Rover’s instead?” Kate suggested.

Rana smiled “sounds perfect”

The pair linked arms and continued to walk for a few minutes before coming to a halt at the metro link tram station.

“Meal was nice wasn’t it?” Kate offered as they sat down in the waiting area.

Rana raised an eyebrow and smirked “I was surprised you manage to polish off most of that huge ice cream sundae after that plate of what looked like leaves and a bit of sauce in some pasta...what the hell was that even called again?”

Kate laughed rather loudly at Rana’s bluntness.

“Fettuccine Alfredo” she replied, shaking her head in mock disbelief.

Rana rolled her eyes “why can’t they just call the dishes what they actually are instead of giving them fancy names?”

“Because...” Kate giggled “I don’t think that Pasta, cheese sauce and garnish has quite the same ring to it”

Both women were clearly somewhat intoxicated from the two or three bottles of wine that they’d managed to get through from start to finish on their date night.

“I was genuinely surprised that the waitress happened to be gay” Rana admitted.

Kate turned to look at her with a puzzled expression.

“We come in all different shapes and sizes....and jobs y’know”

Rana giggled at Kate’s words as the tram finally pulled into the station. They quickly boarded and were soon on their journey back to Weatherfield.

They grabbed seats towards the back of the carriage and Rana reared her head on Kate’s shoulder for the journey home.

Kate ran her fingers through Rana’s hair, occasionally planting kisses on her head.

“I wonder how they’re getting on back home with the situation with Imran and Alya” Rana whispered.

“Mmm” Kate hummed “I think Adam’s trying to convince them to go ahead with contesting the will on the grounds that Aidan wasn’t of sound mind when he wrote it”

Rana looked sadly up at her “how do you feel about that?”

Kate shook her head in response “I mean....I don’t like the idea of trying to say that my brother was mentally compromised but if it keeps the factory out of Alya’s grasp....then so be it”

“I know” Rana replied “I was actually doing some research yesterday online and I think Johnny and Carla might have grounds to sue Imran”

Kate looked wide eyed at Rana as if she’d just murdered somebody.

“I er.....didn’t expect you to say that....i mean like dad said, he is still your brother” she replied incredulously.

Rana shrugged “I know he is but I feel like he’s betrayed me and you. According to what I read online, him being the one to tell Alya that she’d inherited the factory was a breach of conduct as it wasn’t his case, it’s Adam’s. It’s also a conflict of interest and he shouldn’t be representing her legally speaking. He could get disbarred from practising if we report it”

Kate looked uncomfortable as Rana spoke, it was one thing to challenge Imran’s actions but to potentially ruin his career was another thing entirely. Fortunately the conversation was cut short as they pulled into Victoria Street tram station.

 

*******************************************

 

30 minutes earlier

 The Rovers was at peak capacity, even for a Wednesday evening. Each stool had an occupant, each booth was filled and the sounds of the fruit machine seemed to be consistent as Kate and Rana sat alone at a corner table.

“We should probably make a move soon” Kate groaned “We’ve both got early starts and I’m knackered after tonight”

Rana looked at her watch.

_‘9:15pm’_

“Yeah you’re probably right, I’ll just finish this and then we can get going” Rana affirmed as she polished off the remainder of her cocktail.

Kate smiled lovingly as they rose from their seats and wrapped up in their coats, ready to brave the cold that waited outside.

“Ready?” asked Kate, offering her hand.

Rana nodded as she took hold of Kate’s hand and interlocked their fingers “let’s go home”

They took a slow stroll from the Rovers, a pace that was sensible given the amount of alcohol consumed over the course of the evening. They’d almost certainly have sore heads in the morning.

The two had crossed from the Rovers and towards the salon when a voice called one of them back.

“Rana!” Sean chortled.

Rana turned around to see Sean holding up her phone from the other side of the street.

“Forgot your mobile you daft mare!” he chuckled.

Rana shook her head and sighed. Only she could forget something as vital as her phone.

“There’s always something isn’t there” Rana laughed, looking back at Kate as she crossed the road.

 _“RANA LOOK OUT!”_ Kate screamed.

The car had come out of nowhere and struck Rana like a rag doll, sending her flying over the bonnet and and onto the hard, cold cobbles behind. Rana lay lifeless on the ground as Kate Rana over to her.

“SEAN CALL AN AMBULANCE NOW!” she shouted.

“Rana? Rana sweetheart...can you hear me? Come on Rana...”

Rana was completely unresponsive, to all of Kate’s attempts to get her to talk. The driver was stood with his hand over his mouth clearly in shock.

“Sean, hold her head steady” Kate ordered as Sean took over from her.

She approached the driver and pinned him against his car, holding him by the neck of his coat.

“What the hell were you doing?!” she demanded “why weren’t you looking?!”

“Please...” the driver begged “I didn’t see her! She came out of nowhere! I slammed the brakes on the second I saw her!”

Kate tried to control herself but found it to be futile as her temper worsened by the minute.

“I swear to god, if anything happens to her because of you, I’ll end you”

Sirens blared and blue lights danced across the walls as the ambulance arrived.

“What happened?” asked the first paramedic.

Kate pointed to the driver of the car “she was crossing the road and he came out of nowhere...she went straight over the top”

The paramedic nodded, taking in the situation.

“Okay we’re going to need a board and a head brace!” she called over to her colleague who was examining the driver.

Kate began to cry, seeing her love broken like this was killing her inside.

 “Hey...” the paramedic reassured “she’s in the best possible hands and it could’ve been a lot worse, I take it you’re her partner?”

Kate nodded amongst her sniffles and the paramedic smiled.

“Do you want to ride in the ambulance with her?” she asked.

“Erm Yeah” Kate sighed as she tried to compose herself.

They slowly shuffled Rana onto the board, fixing the brace around her neck and head and lifted her onto the stretcher.

Kate climbed into the ambulance as the doors closed behind her and the sirens began to blare again as they made their way to Weatherfield general.

 _“Please don’t leave me”_ she whispered as the took Rana’s hand inside of her own.


	13. Exit Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of their date night, will Rana pull through?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I didn’t scare you all too much with the last chapter. Opening in a flashforward is something I’ve always wanted to do and I think it kinda worked. This chapter opens with our characters at the hospital awaiting any news on Rana’s condition.

_“Life is the dance, and you are the dancer” -_ Eckhart Tolle

 

Silence and the smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. The minutes had felt like hours, the hours like lifetimes. The ticking of the clock was becoming deafening in the quiet that surrounded Kate. They had yet to receive any information from the doctors in regards to Rana’s condition.

Carla had been at a meeting just a mile or so away in the centre of town and had arrived pretty quickly after Kate had called her and told her the news. She’d also contacted Imran who had jumped straight in the car and was on his way. 

“I can’t be doing with this waiting” Kate sighed, holding her head in her hands. 

Carla paced up and down the corridor, trying to keep busy whilst the eternal wait continued. Imran suddenly came bursting through the double doors at the end of the corridor.

“What happened? Is there any news? Will she be okay?” 

Kate slowly looked up from her lap, eyes heavy with sadness and addressed Imran’s questions. 

“She was crossing the road, got hit by a speeding car. They took her to have scans and that done. We haven’t heard anything since”

Imran sighed and let himself slump against the wall. 

“She’ll be alright, Rana’s a fighter” Carla assured them both as she sat back down. 

“But what if she isn’t?” Kate pleaded, her eyes filling with tears. 

Carla pulled her sister into a tight hug “listen to me, you’ve got to stay strong for her” 

The waiting continued as the minutes ticked away until eventually a doctor appeared at the end of the corridor. 

“Are you relatives of Rana Habeeb?”

Kate left her seat at incredible speed at the sound of her girlfriend’s name. 

“How is she?” she queried, wanting nothing more than to see Rana. 

“The CT scan came back clear but the X-Ray revealed three broken ribs. She had a minor head wound as well but we were able to stitch that up under a general anaesthetic. No lasting damage” the doctor replied with a smile. 

The three breathed a sigh of relief, Rana was out of any danger. 

Imran stepped forward “so she’ll make a full recovery?” 

“Yes, I see no reason why not” the doctor confirmed. 

 _Thank god_ Kate thought. The thought of losing Rana was unbearable to say the least. 

“Can we see her?” she asked. 

The doctor nodded “you can but she is still sleeping so try and keep it down. She needs to rest” 

The three followed the doctor into the room in which Rana was staying overnight, much to Kate’s annoyance. 

She couldn’t help but let the tears flow down her face as she laid her eyes on Rana, lying there with a bandage wrapped around her head and a cannula stuck in the back of her hand. She looked so peaceful and yet so broken. Small cuts lined her face. Battle wounds. 

Kate sat down beside the bed and took Rana’s hand into her own. 

“You just had to forget your phone didn’t you eh?” she whispered with a faint smile. 

Imran chuckled “she was always forgetting things when we were little” 

Kate looked awkwardly at him, a degree of tension still present which wasn’t exactly surprising given the recent events. 

“I’ll go get us some coffees I think” Carla interjected as she turned to leave the room, fully intending to take as long as possible before she returned. 

Silence filled the room as Imran and Kate were left alone, countered only by the very subtle sound of Rana’s breathing or the pinging of the machines. 

“Was always me getting into accidents when we were kids” Imran said softly “never looked before crossing the road, it’s a wonder I never got ran over” 

“And then it ends up being me” came a voice. 

Kate looked up to see that Rana had woken up, blinking away her drowsiness. She immediately rose from her seat and kissed Rana softly on the head. 

“How’re you feeling? Kate asked soothingly. 

Rana groaned “sore....really sore....alive though.....how bad is it?” 

“Erm” Kate sighed “doctor said three broken ribs and a minor head injury which they had to put you to sleep to stitch up. Might leave a small scar but you won’t be able to see it” 

Rana grimaced at the idea. She’d always said she’d quite like to have a scar somewhere as a joke of course, but on her head isn’t where she would’ve chosen. Maybe it wouldn’t be too big a deal if it was hidden by her hair. 

“What time is it?” Rana asked, looking around for her phone. 

Imran searched Rana’s coat which lay on the seat next to him. He pulled out Rana’s mobile and passed it over to her. 

The screen lit up revealing the time and a multitude of messages from the Connor’s and obscure app notifications. Rana couldn’t help but smile, she’d found a caring family unit with the Connor’s. “What are you smiling at?” Kate chuckled. 

Rana showed her the messages on her lock screen from Michelle, Jenny, Johnny and even Maria which made Kate giggle.

“My god, even Maria managed to send you well wishes...” Kate began “must’ve thought you’d end up being a goner!” 

“Cheeky mare!” Rana chuckled, playfully slapping Kate’s hand but winced as she felt the pain from her ribs. 

The sound of the door opening startled them, Carla appeared from behind it, carrying a tray of Costa cups in her hand and a Tesco bag in the other. 

“Sorry I took so long, didn’t want to subject you to those rubbish hospital coffee’s. Had to go to the Tesco down the road and use their self serve coffee machine. Thank god for 24 hour supermarkets. Got you all some munchies” 

She passed Kate her coffee and a chicken salad wrap, Imran a latte and a sandwich and for Rana she’d bought a pasta pot, grapes and a hot chocolate. 

“Good to see you’re awake sweetheart” Carla smiled as Kate helped Rana sip her drink “how’re you feeling?”

Rana nodded slowly as she chewed a mouthful of her pasta. 

“Had a lucky escape” she said slowly. 

Kate pulled her phone from her pocket as the pair spoke, realising she hadn’t called Johnny since they’d arrived at the hospital. She scrolled through her contacts until she saw his name, hitting call and making sure it was on loud speaker. 

The dial tone rang out for a few seconds before a voice came through. 

_“Hiya love”_

“Hi dad, you alright?”

 _“Not too bad love, how’s Rana?”_  

Kate looked at Rana and smiled “she’s doing okay. Few broken ribs, nasty cut on her head but thats it. She’ll survive” 

 _“Are you and Carla staying with her tonight?”_  

“Damn right we are!” Carla hollered before Kate had a chance to answer. 

Rana once again let out a painful laugh. She’d come to really appreciate Carla’s wit and charm. 

_“Well I suppose I’ll see you all when you get back from the hospital in the morning then”_

“Night dad” Kate smiled. 

_“Night sweetheart, night Rana love”_

Kate hung up and shoved her phone back in her pocket. 

 

*******************************************

 

Kate was sitting in the corner quietly playing Flappy Bird when Rana stirred. The time on her phone said 3am, Kate had been awake for nineteen hours and yet she didn’t feel at all tired. Imran had left just after midnight and Carla was out like a light in the opposite corner seat leaving only her. Lucky that Carla always kept a charger plug in her car and they had the same phone so she’d borrowed her sisters charger to keep her phone going.

“Kate” Rana whispered.

Kate set her phone down on the seat and shuffled her feet over to the bed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

Rana smiled up at her “will you cuddle with me?”

Kate raised her eyebrow and smiled, picking up her phone from the chair and slipping off her boots.

She edged her way onto the bed and Rana slowly shuffled to the side, allowing for Kate to slide her way onto the bed safely.

Rana shuffled back into Kate’s arms, resting her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. Kate stroked the strands of Rana’s hair escaping from the bandage and placed a kiss on her head.

“I was so scared of losing you” Kate admitted in a whisper.

Rana sighed “I’m sorry, I’ll make sure I look left and right next time”

Kate giggled, only Rana could make a joke about almost dying. She loved her for it. Her sense of humour seemed to know absolutely no limits. Was there anything that Rana couldn’t put a spin on?

“Idiot” Kate teased as she took Rana’s hand.

Rana turned her head slightly to kiss Kate’s neck “but you love me”

“Yeah I do” Kate agreed, kissing Rana’s hand.

She pulled the blanket over both of them and sure Rana was well covered. Rana shifted slightly to get comfortable, using Kate as a body pillow.

“Love you” she whispered.

“I love you too” Kate replied softly “don’t ever scare me like that again”

Rana chuckled “aw you’d be lost without me wouldn’t you?”

“Yes I would” Kate affirmed as she kissed her girlfriend’s head a second time.

 

*******************************************

 

The peak of daylight shining through the blinds and knuckles rapping on the door woke Carla from her rest. She’d managed to fall asleep in the armchair. She groaned as she got up and walked slowly towards the bed.

Kate and Rana were still fast asleep under the bed cover, squeezed into the enclosed space. Nevertheless, she’d still have to disturb their peaceful slumber as the doctor continued to knock.

“Hey, come on you two” she whispered as she gave Kate a shake to wake her “come in doc!”

Kate quickly gave Rana soft kiss on the neck and a nudge to wake her up. The doctor entered the room carrying his clipboard and a fresh bandage.

“Good morning Rana” he beamed “how are you feeling?”

Rana blinked away her drowsiness as Kate subtly slipped off the bed, much to the doctor’s amusement.

“Mmm been better.....can I go home today?” She yawned, looking towards Kate and Carla.

The doctor nodded slowly “you can but I would advise restraint. You’ll need to take things easy for the next five to six weeks to allow your ribs to heal fully. If you have to move around for an extended amount of time, I would recommend taking painkillers prior to doing so. That way any pain will be reduced to the absolute minimum”

“Thank you doctor” Kate smiled, nodding and taking in his advice.

The doctor put the clipboard down on the table “well once I’ve applied the fresh bandage and filled out the discharge form, you can head home”

 

*******************************************

 

The smell of fresh air filled Rana’s lungs as they slowly trudged from the room that Rana had been in to Carla’s car, a blessed relief from the smell of disinfectant that had invaded her senses during the night.

The pain was surprisingly minimal thanks to the morphine that was still flowing through her veins. Even bending down to get into the front passenger seat wasn’t painful so much as slightly uncomfortable. The worst would probably come later on once it had worn off.

Carla made sure she was safely strapped in before starting the engine as Kate got in behind Rana.

“I thought Imran might’ve come back this morning” Rana sighed as they pulled out of the car park.

Carla looked sympathetically at her “I know sweetheart. He’s probably dealing with Alya”

_Oh yes, Alya. Devil’s advocate herself._

Rana rolled her eyes at the thought of going back to face the reality of her ex sister in-law trying to take everything the Connor’s had worked for. At least she could recognise that Imran was slowly coming to his senses.

“Watch her say something snarky when we get home” Kate scoffed.

“Don’t worry” Carla assured “she so much as looks at any of us the wrong way and I’ll deck her. Besides, she thinks she’s got the upper hand but it doesn’t matter who her lawyer is, she won’t get her grubby hands on the factory”

Kate could see Carla’s cheeky smile in the rear view mirror as the words came out. She loved that her sister was so supportive of her relationship with Rana and hated Alya as much as she did, if not more so.

“Can’t wait to have a shower when we get home” Rana mused.

Kate giggled “I mean I didn’t want to say anything but you do kinda smell a bit”

“Just because my ribs are broken, doesn’t mean I can’t slap you” Rana replied in a tone of mock offence.

Kate and Carla both laughed in unison at Rana’s quick comeback.

Before long they were pulling back onto the cobbles of Victoria Street, parking up outside the flat. Carla and Kate undid their seatbelts first and got out to help Rana exit the car.

“Take it slowly” Kate said as she noticed her girlfriend wincing in pain.

Carla turned to Kate “will you be okay to help Rana into the flat? It’s just I really need to go and see Jenny”

Kate dismissed her sister’s concern, nodding for her to go about her business.

“See ya later then girls” she called as she locked the car and walked in the opposite direction.

Rana leaned against the wall as Kate turned to put the keys in the lock but quickly wished she hadn’t as Alya’s eye caught her own and began to walk over towards them. She nudged Kate who turned to see what was wrong.

“Hello homewreckers” Alya crooned.

Kate raised her eyebrows “I’m not always one to complain about stuck records but this tune’s becoming dated”

Rana’s jaw hit the floor in shock at Kate’s almost instant response.

“What happened to you?” Alya leered as she turned to face Rana.

Rana briefly glanced at Kate before turning back to Alya.

“Funny you should ask” she began “me and Kate were having a conversation about how you somehow seem to care more about us being a couple than your own brother, my actual soon to be ex husband. Kate suggested you probably have a secret crush on me and I’d like to say that tickled my ribs but amazingly it broke three of them”

This time it was Kate’s jaw left hanging. Rana had just completely outdone her own comeback and then some. She could tell by Alya’s face that she was truly lost for words. Any kind of smart quips that she might have used had gone completely out of the window.

Truth be told, Kate thought that there was something strangely attractive about Rana’s new found confidence.

Kate unlocked the door and helped Rana in as Alya strutted off down the street with her horned tail between her legs.

_Home, truly where the heart is._


	14. Let Me Be Your Shield.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rana heals from her accident and everything seems to be settling down for the first time in months, bad news arrives right on the couple’s doorstep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It’s been a while since I last posted a chapter. Majorly sorry about that. Between work and my personal life, I’ve had very little time to write and the moments that I’ve had free I’ve mostly spent playing Xbox LOL! Don’t worry though, i’ll make sure I get the last chapter out sometime in the next few days to compensate.

Rain hammered down hard on the cobbles, pelting the stones like boots grazing over gravel. Rana had struggled to sleep during the night, even dosed up on painkillers and anti-inflammatories it had been hard to keep the pain at bay for long.

Kate was sound asleep next to her, arm draped softly over Rana. Watching Kate sleep was something she’d never quite gotten used to. Not so long ago it was something she’d yearned for, all those nights spent sleeping on the couch at the Nazir household, pretending to still be in a loveless marriage. Thankfully that time was but a bad memory. The reality was a blessed relief. 

Rana turned slowly to shift out of bed but felt her hand being brushed as she threw the cover off herself. 

“Are you okay?” Kate whispered. 

Rana nodded slowly “I thought you were asleep. I was just going to get some more paracetamol and do a hot water bottle” 

Kate smiled and threw the covers off her side of the bed. 

“Stay put, I’ll sort it” she yawned, sliding off the bed and throwing a dressing gown on over her pyjamas. If you can call an oversized t-shirt and underwear pyjamas. 

Rana settled back under the duvet as Kate trudged into the dimly lit living room. The door being open allowed the chill of the living room to creep slowly into the bedroom, making Rana shiver and tug the duvet just a little tighter. 

“It’s freezing in here” Kate called quietly. 

Rana smiled “well hurry up and come back to bed, you’ll soon warm up once this water bottle is under the duvet” 

From the bedroom she could hear the sound of the kettle click and Kate soon returned to the warmth of the bedroom holding a blue wool covered water bottle and a box of paracetamol. 

“You’d think I was the nurse in this relationship” Kate grinned, tossing the box and sliding back under the duvet with the water bottle in tow. 

Rana yawned as she popped the capsules out of the packet. 

“Babe you’re brilliant okay, I grant you, but you’re not exactly Hippocrates are you?” 

Kate was extremely confused by Rana’s remark, evident by the look of utter bemusement crossing her face. 

Rana spluttered as she returned her glass of water to the bedside cabinet, noticing Kate’s expression. 

“You do know who Hippocrates is right?” She queried. 

Kate sighed “the guy who invented medicine” 

Rana let out a somewhat painful laugh at Kate’s cluelessness. 

“Oh, Kate Connor, you really are cute when you’re being dumb” 

Kate raised her eyebrow, as if to look offended but Rana knew it was purely in jest. She’d once tried to explain medicine through time in a basic form during one of the many boring, rainy Sundays spent together in the flat watching some rubbish boxset. Her girlfriend had clearly not been paying much attention if she thought Hippocrates ‘invented medicine’. 

“How’s the pain now?” Kate asked. 

The heat from the water bottle had spread across the bed, warming Kate up from the chilliness that had filled the room whilst she’d been in the lounge. 

Rana nodded, her eyes becoming heavy with tiredness “between the water bottle and the paracetamol, I’m not really feeling anything now. Just tired” 

Kate shuffled further under the covers and held her arm out for Rana to lean into her. Her girlfriend slowly crept into the embrace, draping her own arm over Kate. Within minutes both women had drifted into the realm of sleep, each blissfully cuddled by the other. 

 

*******************************************

 

When the morning eventually rolled around, Rana was feeling surprisingly pain free. It had only been just over a month since the accident. Until now she’d woken to varying degrees of pain, some days it was a twinge, some days it was searing, incapacitating pain. Today was the first day she’d woken up and been able to move around without so much as an ounce of discomfort.

She was making tea for herself and Kate when she felt Kate slowly sliding her arms through hers and kissing her head. 

“What’re you doing out of bed? Should be me doing that!” 

Rana turned to face Kate with a smile on her face “it’s alright, looks like I’m over the worst of it. That hot water bottle seems to have worked wonders” 

“That’s good, are you hungry?” Kate replied, indicating towards the loaf of bread next to the toaster. 

Rana shook her head, she was hungry but toast wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

“I thought maybe we could go to Roy’s for breakfast?” she suggested. 

Kate nodded. Roy always managed to impress with his full English breakfasts and let’s be fair, that beats a slice of toast, jam or no jam. Rana passed a cup of tea to Kate, met with a smile of thanks from her girlfriend. 

As Kate sipped her tea, she couldn’t help but notice that Rana’s gaze had hit the floor and the smile that had been there only moments ago had faded, replaced with a blank expression. 

“Penny for them?” 

Rana sighed “it’s nothing it’s just....Imran’s barely spoken to me since that night in the hospital. Every time I’ve tried to talk to him he’s had to dash off to somewhere. He says he’ll call and he never does” 

Kate offered what she hoped was a reassuring smile but could tell from Rana’s face that it really wasn’t doing much good. 

Things had been especially awkward since Rana’s accident, Kate had become an Aunty by the discovery that Baby Susie was in fact Eva and Aidan’s child and Peter had sold the Rovers to buy Alya out of Underworld, gifting it back to Carla and Johnny, perhaps to alleviate the immense guilt of the part he’d unknowingly played in denying them their own flesh and blood. In reality, it was all Toyah’s and Eva’s fault for allowing such dishonesty to continue. 

“Well next time you see him, sit him down and have a proper talk with him. He’s probably just trying to give you some space after everything that’s happened in the last couple of months” Kate suggested. 

Rana nodded slowly, Kate was probably right. She usually was, even if Rana couldn’t necessarily see it. 

“I’m going to grab a shower before we go out” said Rana “care to join me?” 

Kate nodded, grinning as Rana took her hand and lead her towards the bathroom. 

 

*******************************************

 

If you’d have asked either Kate or Rana how far away it was from the flat to Roy’s, you’d probably get an answer of about ten steps, equating to the same time in seconds on a normal day.

Today, that short journey seemed to be made longer as the women found themselves held up before they’d even been able to lock the door. 

“Kate have you seen my phone? I swear I had it in my hand a minute ago?” Rana shouted from upstairs.

As a matter of fact, Kate had seen it. Rana had set it down on the side just before brushing her teeth. Naturally she’d assumed that Rana would have picked it up on the way out but clearly she’d forgotten. 

“On the side next to the passwords book” she called up. 

She heard the clicking of the door upstairs followed by a succession of footsteps as Rana appeared with a grin from ear to ear. 

Kate shook her head in mock disbelief “if you had a brain you’d be dangerous” 

“Oi!” Rana laughed and playfully punched Kate in the arm. 

Kate closed and locked the green door, taking Rana’s hand into her own. 

“Come on, I’m flipping starving”

They’d only taken maybe three steps before they were held up yet again. 

“Kate! Rana!” called the voice of one Imran Habeeb. 

Rana turned nervously to face her approaching brother and could feel the grip of Kate’s hand tightening tenfold. 

“You avoid me for weeks and now all of a sudden I’m supposed to give you the time of day? What the hell are you playing at?” Rana demanded. 

Imran’s expression remained calm and steadfast as he tried to stop the truth escaping from his mouth. 

“I was doing it for your own good” 

Kate looked both confused and concerned at the ambiguous statement. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she barked. 

Imran took a deep breath and looked briefly to the floor before returning his attention to the women. 

“Mum and dad” he sighed “they’re back in town” 

Rana’s eyes widened in horror as she glanced towards Kate. 

“.....why?” 

Imran shrugged “I’m not sure yet. I’ve only just found out from one of their old friends but if I had to guess, now that Zeedan’s buggered off to god knows where, they’re probably going to have a few choice words for us. Particularly where Speed Daal is concerned. It was built on their money after all”

The idea of Saira and Hassan being back in their lives was a truly terrifying concept for both Kate and Rana and a pure annoyance for Imran. They’d already done something unthinkable to try and break their daughter and Kate apart. 

“I don’t want them anywhere near Rana” Kate addressed. 

Imran nodded in agreement and gestured towards Roy’s. 

“Come on, let’s have a coffee and an egg butty or something. It’s freezing out here and I don’t like the idea of the neighbours eavesdropping” 

 

*******************************************

 

Rana, Imran and Kate had debated at length on how to go about keeping Saira and Hassan at bay if they were sniffing around again.

Kate had initially suggested calling the police but Rana had immediately shot down the idea, even though Imran had tried to convince his sister that it was the right thing to do. 

“Why are you still giving them any kind of loyalty after what they did to you?” Imran asked in a disappointed tone of voice. 

Rana shrugged and shook her head. It was a fair question to which she had no real answer. She hated and despised her parents for what they’d done and how vocal they were about their homophobia but they were still after all, her parents and a small part of her still loved them as only a child does with a parent. 

“I don’t even want to entertain the idea of them having any contact with you” Kate sighed as she took Rana’s hand into her own, holding it firmly as if she was scared to let go, Which in truth - she kind of was now. 

Imran could see the desperation to keep Rana safe in Kate’s body language and expression. She wasn’t subtle at all when it came to being protective. Like a mother to a cub. 

“I’ll try and speak to mum and dad okay, I’ll find out what they want and if they ask about either of you, I’ll tell them you’ve gone on holiday or something. That should keep them from asking any more questions” he replied with a reassuring smile. 

Roy arrived at the table carrying a tray of food and hot beverages before the girls and Imran could exchange another word. 

“Latte, black coffee, one tea milk no sugar, one fried egg sandwich, cheese on toast and a breakfast protein bar....far be it for me to seem intrusive but I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying just now about your parents being back in the picture”

Rana looked confusingly at him “right?....”

“Yasmeen mentioned what happened back in April and I just want you to know that they won’t be welcome here and i certainly wouldn’t entertain the notion of answering any questions for them pertaining to your whereabouts” 

The three smiled. Roy was a lovely man, salt of the Earth. He’d always been considered an extension of the Connor family with his father figure relationship with Carla even before Johnny had turned up. Before him, Roy was the closest thing she’d had to a dad and he’d been there for them through thick and thin. Carla had insisted she’d always been thin of course. 

“Thanks, Roy. Means a lot” Imran affirmed. 

Roy offered a smile and headed back behind the counter, the queue of customers had grown considerably during the conversation. 

“Dunno how you can survive on that” Rana mused, indicating the protein bar that Kate was currently pulling a chunk from. 

Kate shrugged as she nibbled the chunk of her very small breakfast. Rana watched in amusement, fascinated by the movements of Kate’s mouth as she took each bite and it wasn’t as if Kate hadn’t noticed either. 

Unfortunately Imran had also picked up on it and looked rather uncomfortable as Kate took the last chunk and raised it to her mouth in a seductive fashion. 

“Do you two wanna be alone?”

Kate and Rana both laughed at the clear demonstration of cringe from Imran as he took the last bite of his cheese on toast.

“Right” he exclaimed as he took a final swig of his coffee “I’ve got a stack load of paperwork waiting on my desk. Can I offer some parting advice?”

Rana rolled her eyes “I think you’re about to” 

“Ha ha” Imran sighed “I think it might be an idea to inform the Connor’s and Yasmeen about mum and dad. Better safer than sorry” 

Kate nodded “good idea, we’ll go and see my dad after we’re done here” 

Imran offered a parting smile as he left the cafe, leaving the women alone to finish the remainder of their respective breakfasts. 

 

*******************************************

 

Kate pushed the button on the intercom, triggering the usual buzzing before the voice of Johnny came through. 

 _“Hello?”_  

“Hi dad, I’m with Rana” Kate hollered into the speaker.

_“Come on up love”_

The system buzzed as the main door was unlocked, allowing them into the apartment block. The pair climbed the stairs in unison before eventually coming to a stop outside Johnny’s flat.

Kate rapped her knuckles on the oak door, it seemed rude to just walk in like she owned the place and she didn’t want to give Johnny a fright.

“It’s open” came a muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Kate pushed down on the handle and swung the door open, ushering Rana inside and letting the door swing shut behind herself.

“Alright?” she asked as she saw what appeared to be a photo album and a photographic envelope on the coffee table.

Johnny nodded and managed a small smile.

“Yeah....Jenny mentioned the other day that we’d got some recent photos on our phones and the big camera of Aidan. You know the ones we took over Christmas? Well she suggested getting them done properly like and putting them in the album” he replied, indicating to the mess on the table.

Kate nodded in acknowledgement. Johnny seemed to be slowly coming to terms with Aidan’s death. His moods seemed a lot better and he wasn’t so snappy at everyone. She’d figured that maybe the revelation that he had a granddaughter had done him some good and allowed him to ‘connect’ with Aidan in some way.

“So hows things anyway? I passed Imran this morning on my walk. Didn’t look too happy mind” he queried, filling the kettle.

“Well that’s kind of why we’re here” Kate admitted “Rana’s parents are back in town so I need everyone to be on their guard and keeping their eyes open in case they try anything”

Johnny nodded slowly “if they know what’s good for them they’ll steer well clear of both of you. I’ll let Carla and Michelle know later, me and Jenny are meeting them for a meal at the Bistro. You’re welcome to join us if you haven’t got any plans?”

Truthfully, neither of the women had made any particular plans for that evening. Kate didn’t have a shift and Rana wasn’t entertaining the idea of going out. It would probably have been a night of pizza, booze and Netflix. Rana had fallen hook, line and sinker into Game Of Thrones whilst recovering from the accident. Evenings had been filled with comments such as :

‘Oh that’s disgusting’ and ‘why is everyone having sex with their family members?’

“You up for that, babe?” asked Kate in reference to Johnny’s offer.

Rana smiled “sounds perfect”

“Well then” Johnny chuckled “We’ll be heading over at about half five. Right I’ve got to go and drop off some stuff for Susie at the pub.

The women exchanged their goodbyes and headed back towards the flat. There was probably enough time for another episode or two before dinner, or maybe something else........

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra good news? There’s a SEQUEL in the works! That’s right folks. “I Need You Now, Babe” will be part of a series and let’s be honest, we need as much Kana fic content as possible whilst we go through this drought.
> 
> I’ll try and be as regular as possible with the sequel and it’ll be significantly more consistent than this fic.


	15. Me, You and Margaritas.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rana and Kate join the Connor clan for Dinner at the Bistro and find themselves taken aback when Johnny makes a shocking move on behalf of the couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....here we finally are. I know I said I’d get this last chapter out within a few days but due to unforeseen circumstances and several days of working in furnace level heat, my brain basically turned to mush so apologies. Better late than never though right? I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this story, I’ve certainly enjoyed writing it, it’s been up and down I know but hey, it’s fanfiction and it’s the best that we can offer whilst Corrie is giving Kana piss all screen time.

‘Netflix and chill’ was something that Kate and Rana took more seriously than most. Because they actually did exactly that. They’d watch Netflix and chill out sprawled across the sofa. Today however, that concept had gone completely out of the window.

The second they’d walked back through the door, neither of the women could keep their hands off each other and the couple had ended up getting rather energetic on just about every surface in the flat. 

Kate had managed to doze off following the afternoon’s activities, something that would usually irritate Rana just a little. However there was an unusual sense of solace & calm watching the rise and fall of Kate’s chest as she slept. Rana’s hand caressed her girlfriend’s back, bringing out her loving smile. The immense feeling of joy & comfort that came with these moments gave Rana the happiness that she’d so craved all those months ago during various forbidden liaisons. Now it was finally second nature and something that didn’t need to be hidden. 

They were free to be a proper couple and either had to pretend anymore. 

“Mmmmm” Kate mumbled as she felt the sensation of Rana’s nails grazing her skin softly. 

Rana giggled and watched her girlfriend properly wake from her slumber.

“Now she wakes up” 

Kate groaned “ugh how long have I been asleep?”

“Not too long” Rana said, pulling the charger out of her phone “yeah about an hour...shit!” 

“What’s up?” Kate queried. 

Rana held her phone up to show Kate her lockscreen and more importantly, the time displayed on it. 

_17:10_

“Bollocks!” Kate shrieked and immediately jumped out of bed, almost tripping over rather embarrassingly in the process. 

“Come on, I need a shower before we go out!” she groaned but held her hand out to Rana as an invitation to join her. 

Rana shook her head in mock disbelief, Kate was rather cute when she was rushing around trying to get things done at maximum speed. It was almost a shame they had to go to dinner. Rana could think of something much more productive to fill the evening. 

 

*******************************************

 

At the time of walking through the Bistro door it was exactly twenty eight minutes past five. Somehow they’d managed to get showered, changed and over to the Bistro in exactly eighteen minutes flat. That would be a record for either one of them.

“Well I guess that’s me ten quid better off” Johnny mused as the pair greeted the Connor’s. 

Kate looked confusingly at him as she took her seat beside Rana “what’re you on about?” 

“I bet him a tenner that you’d end up being late” Carla chuckled as she pulled out her purse and reluctantly handed the cash over.

Johnny ruffled the note in front of them and gave an incredibly smug expression to go with it. 

“Pleasure doing business with you” 

Carla rolled her eyes “yeah well at least I can afford to lose a tenner now that we’ve got the factory back” 

“I still can’t believe Peter bought Alya out” Jenny interjected “of all the things I might’ve seen coming, that definitely wasn’t one of them” 

As if by magic, everyone at the table nodded in unison. The mention of Peter’s name had bought a twinkle to Carla’s eye and it certainly didn’t go unnoticed. 

“I think we all know why he did it, or rather who he did it for” Kate grinned. 

All eyes turned to Carla, whose cheeks flooded with embarrassment at the sudden plethora of attention that had landed on her. In fairness though, her family wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t exactly a secret that there was still a mutual attraction between Carla and Peter and it was probably only a matter of time before both acted on it now that Peter was a lone wolf. 

“Amazing how quickly this conversation became about me” Carla quipped as she awkwardly took a swig of her drink. 

Michelle laughed teasingly at Carla’s embarrassment, earning her the middle finger. 

Johnny shrugged “she’s got a point though love. Peter’s clearly fond of you and you’re not exactly subtle around him either. Maybe you should think about going for it” 

“He’s right you know” Kate affirmed as she took Rana’s hand “if you like him, be with him. Don’t waste any time trying to avoid what you really want, in your heart, like I did. If you’ve got a shot at happiness, grab it and don’t let go” 

Rana smiled and clutched Kate’s hand tightly and she could see Johnny smiling genuinely for the first time in recent months. The Connor’s were finally moving forward after the tragedy and everything that had hit them following it. Things were very quickly settling down. 

“I can’t just go jumping the gun though. He’s only just split up with Toyah as well” 

“Exactly!” Jenny cheered “so fill your boots!” 

Carla rolled her eyes and quickly changed the subject to avoid causing an argument. 

“So Rana” she said, addressing her younger sister’s girlfriend “has Kate begun suggesting disgracefully expensive holiday destinations yet?” 

Rana looked to Kate with a smile, noticing her expression of mock offence at Carla’s teasing question. 

Rana shook her head in response. 

“Erm no, no not yet. We haven’t really had time to talk about anything like that with everything that’s been going on, have we babe?” 

Johnny interrupted before Kate could submit any kind of comment, an idea had come to the forefront of his mind. 

“It’s something you’d want to do though? You deserve a couple of weeks on vacay after everything you’ve both had to deal with this year”  

Kate and Rana exchanged surprised looks, both having no idea what they were supposed to say next. 

“I mean...erm...yeah. I certainly wouldn’t mind a couple of weeks of sun, sea, sand and....” Kate trailed off before dropping the next word in the chain. 

Johnny seemed to nod slowly to himself and Kate knew that meant he was planning something but exactly what remained a mystery. 

“I’m just going to nip back to the flat, there’s something I need to do. I’ll be back shortly” he said as he clambered out of his chair and headed straight for the door. 

“Johnny!!” Jenny hollered as the door swung and her husband was out of sight. 

The remaining Connor’s exchanged uneasy glances but each knew that it would be a futile tactic to try and run after him. 

 

*******************************************

 

There was a sense of awkwardness as Kate and Rana took a slow stroll back towards the flat. Dinner had quickly taken a strange turn when Johnny had suddenly disappeared off back to the flat and after the best part of an hour and a meal later, the party had decided to disperse back to their respective homes.

“I wonder why my dad suddenly ran off like that. It’s not like him, especially when we’re eating out” Kate sighed. 

Rana snorted at Kate’s very poor choice of words. 

“Rana, you’re so immature” Kate giggled as she realised how that sentence had sounded. 

Rana simply shrugged and offered her cheesiest grin. 

Their joking around was interrupted by the sound of Kate’s phone ringing out. The sound of Girls Like Girls filled the air for a few seconds whilst Kate pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket. 

“It’s my dad” she explained to Rana before putting it to her ear. 

“Hi dad, why’d you run off earlier?....huh? What now?...no okay that’s fine. Alright we’ll be there in five. Bye” 

Rana looked confusingly at her “What’s up?” 

“He wants to talk to both of us apparently. Says it’s really important. I said we’d go straight over” Kate replied, shoving the phone back into her jacket pocket. 

Rana smiled and took her girlfriend’s hand once more as they continued to stroll in the direction of Victoria Court. 

Kate already had a very good idea of what Johnny wanted to talk about. He hadn’t exactly been subtle at dinner but she remained open minded in case she’d somehow misread the situation. 

 

*******************************************

 

Kate knocked on the oak door of her dad’s flat, having been able to skip ringing the downstairs buzzer thanks to another resident coming out of the flats just as they were about to.

“It’s open!” Johnny hollered from the other side. 

Kate pushed open the door and gestured Rana across the threshold before letting it swing shut behind her. 

“Go on then” Kate laughed “what was so urgent that it absolutely couldn’t wait until the morning....” 

She was cut off by Johnny handing her a parcel and offering nothing else other than a smile. 

Kate looked confusingly at him and then to Rana, who clearly was just as in the dark as her as to the contents of the parcel. 

She ran her nail through the protective seal and ripped the parcel open surprisingly neatly. Inside was what appeared to be keys, a brochure, paperwork and two passports. 

Kate looked once again at Johnny with the same degree of confusion as she sat down with Rana and pulled out the items. 

“These are plane tickets?” Rana queried excitedly. 

Johnny nodded and continued smiling. 

“And this is your villa in San Sebastián” Kate remarked, clearly still not quite getting it. 

Johnny laughed and finally spoke up. 

“Apparently I have to spell it out for you. I booked a last minute holiday for two weeks as a gift for you and Rana. The villa is fully furnished and those are they keys. Your flight leaves at midnight” 

Kate and Rana were both truly lost for words at Johnny’s incredibly selfless gesture. Kate had been thinking it might be something along these lines but still found herself utterly gobsmacked. 

“Dad this is.....this is amazing” she sighed “but...why?” 

Johnny took a deep breath, it hadn’t exactly been something he’d planned to do. It was a spur of the moment thing, if anything. 

“Because you deserve it love. Both of you. Everything you two have had to go through this year and then everything with Aidan and the factory. You deserve a couple of weeks to yourselves to relax and chill out in the sun. Besides, can’t hurt for you to get away from here after what Imran said” 

Kate threw herself into her dad’s arms and squeezed him tightly, making Johnny’s face go a little red. 

“I love you dad, thank you!” She chuckled. 

“I know love. I love you too” he replied and kissed Kate’s head, offering a wink towards Rana. 

Rana still struggled to understand something. 

“How on Earth did you manage to get hold of this?” she pondered, holding up her passport. 

Johnny once again offered a reassuring smile “Yasmeen. Popped over to number six when I left the Bistro and told her all about this. Couldn’t have been more obliging” 

Rana couldn’t help but laugh to herself. Yasmeen never ceased to amaze and impress with her secret, devilish ways. The only Nazir worthy of praise by Kate’s own admission. 

“I think this calls for a very quick celebration, because all of a sudden, we’re on a clock” Kate interjected as she hastily poured three glasses of Prosecco, passing one to Rana and the other to Johnny. 

“Cheers!” they exclaimed in unison and each downed their drinks. 

Johnny was the first to finish his glass, only a mere second or two before Kate and Rana. 

“Right, you two better dash back to the flat and pack a suitcase each. I’ll drive you to the airport save you spending over the odds at Street Cars. I’ll pick you up at half eight. Try and get you there for nine” 

Kate and Rana both exchanged pleasantries and quickly headed back to the flat to pack for the next two weeks. 

 

*******************************************

 

As the minutes ticked away, Kate and Rana payed very little attention to being neat and just threw their summery clothes and accessories into their respective suitcases. Both made sure to pack more than they’d probably need, Spain had a reputation for being particularly hot this time of year. Sandles, shorts and crop tops were probably essential.

“What’s the time?” Rana asked as she searched around for her favourite aviator sunglasses. 

Kate shot a glance at her watch.

“Twenty past” she replied with a smile.

Rana nodded as she finally found her sunglasses in her bedside draw inside the protective case that had come with them. 

Both women zipped up their cases and fell into each other’s arms. Kate pulled out her phone and turned on the camera app. 

“Let’s have a selfie” Kate beamed and Rana pulled her cheesy grin, much to her girlfriend’s amusement. The camera flashed and the photo disappeared into the corner of the screen in standard iPhone fashion. 

Kate pressed on it to bring it full screen and showed Rana who smiled cutely and pecked her girlfriend on the lips. Kate’s fingers tapped away as she opened the Facebook app and typed a caption to go with the photo. 

_“Spontaneous holiday with my love. Two weeks of heaven awaits X” - with Rana Habeeb_

A loud beeping came from outside, indicating that their lift to the airport had arrived.

“Ready?” Kate asked, taking her suitcase in one hand and Rana’s hand in the other.

Rana nodded and squeezed Kate’s hand tightly “lets go”

 

*******************************************

 

They arrived at the airport at exactly 9:05 pm and thanked Johnny several times over for booking them the holiday and bringing them to the airport. It’d saved time, effort and money to avoid the tram or a taxi.

Getting through baggage control and security had been reasonably quick, taking not much more than an hour. It’d meant they’d had plenty of time to eat at a Subway inside the airport and buy some mints & sucking sweets for take off, ear popping was not a pleasant experience for either of the women.

The time was now 11:30 and they’d been sat in the departure lounge for about forty five minutes, Rana had dozed off on Kate’s shoulder, leaving Kate to keep a very close eye on the clock opposite them. She slowly caressed Rana’s hair.

She was distracted by her phone pinging, a Facebook notification.

_“Imran Habeeb commented on your photo”_

Kate rolled her eyes and pressed on the notification to see what he’d written.

_“Flippin’ eck, alright for some! Jk, have a great time girls x”_

“What’s my brother saying?” groaned a weary eyed Rana as she rubbed away the sleep in her eyes.

Kate chuckled, clicking her phone to lock and putting it back into her jacket pocket.

“Just saying to have a great time. Think he’s a tad jealous” she grinned and planted a soft kiss on Rana’s forehead.

Rana smiled and cuddled closer into Kate, leaning her head into the older woman’s shoulder “Two weeks of this baby girl. Just me, you and margaritas”

“I know. It’s going to be the best two weeks of our lives, I promise” Kate smiled.

Rana yawned “what are we gonna do while we’re there?”

In typical fashion, Kate also proceeded to yawn before answering Rana’s question.

“I’ve got the brochure in my handbag, we’ll go through it when we’re on the plane. We’ll have a few hours to kill when we’re in the air”

As if by magic, the voice of the gate attendant filled the departure lounge, alerting Kate, Rana and the other passengers to action.

_“British Airways midnight Flight A457B to San Sebastián is now ready for boarding. Passengers should make their way to Gate 1A”_

Kate and Rana exchanged a quick smile before taking each other by the hand and joined the crowd ready to board their flight and begin their two weeks of holiday bliss.

 

 

Epilogue

 

“Welcome onboard flight A457B” beamed the flight attended who greeted them at the end of the gurney “if I could see your boarding passes, I can point you in the direction of your seats”

Kate and Rana handed over their printed boarding passes to the young woman.

The flight attendant offered a warm smile.

“Congratulations ladies, you’ll be flying first class with us today. You’ll be in seats 36A and 36B which are opposite facing corner seats with a table and you’ll both receive a glass of champagne with compliments of British Airways. Enjoy your flight”

Kate and Rana looked excitedly at each other before dashing off to their seats.

Before long, the passengers had all boarded and there were no delays. The girls phones had been set to airplane mode after quickly taking a couple of pics which would inevitably end up on Instagram once they’d landed and gotten into a taxi to the villa.

_“Ladies and gentleman this is your captain speaking. Good morning and welcome onboard British Airways flight A457B to San Sebastián. We’re currently being taxied to the runway and we should be in the air in just a few moments. The flight duration this morning is two hours and twenty five minutes and we’ll be cruising at an altitude of thirty seven thousand feet. Please make sure your seat belts are fastened and prepare for take off”_

Soon enough the moment came. Kate and Rana looked into each other’s eyes and smiled. The plane’s engines roared into life and the sensation of being propelled forward kicked in as the flight powered down the runway, and lifted off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to add that little “epilogue” because it was an extra hundred or so words and I wanted it to close completely with chapter 15. Writing a 16th chapter would’ve played havoc with my OCD and I don’t like to write a chapter that’s less than 1000 words anyway. honestly don’t know when I’m going to start work on the sequel to this. I seem to need longer breaks between chapters recently so it may be anywhere between a few days and a few weeks. It honestly depends. Until then!

**Author's Note:**

> The other fic's i've written haven't really dealt with anything like this, i know it was hinted at during the final chapter of "A Day To Remember" and that's what inspired this fic. I hope I've done this justice (this is the first of several chapters) and i'd say to anyone who struggles with depression/suicidal thoughts - talk to someone. Confide in a friend, a family member or the samaritans.


End file.
